To What We Once Were
by Miss Pavalova
Summary: Six years ago, she left the guild. Barely anyone knew the reasons why. Then, one day, she came back, a curious little girl with her. She then begins to live as if her life never changed, but could it be possible to go back what it once were?
1. Painful Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Hello! This is my first Fairy Tail story I guess. You've probably seen a bunch of stories like this (I know I have) but I wanted to take a shot at it. I'm new to the whole Fairy Tail fandom, so I wouldn't mind any criticism. I hope you enjoy!

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><p><strong>Prologue – Painful Memories<strong>

The memories had been drifting in and out of her mind ever since she boarded the train.

No; she started recalling them ever since she realized what needed to be done.

Fingers trailed absentmindedly through the rose-tinged blonde tresses that belonged to the girl snoozing peacefully on her lap. A content look was etched on her face as the young girl explored her own fairytale dream. The woman's forehead was pressed against the cool glass of the carriage's window; unfocused eyes watching the scenery fly past.

Her eyes closed once more as she delved into the memories which she wished were nightmares instead.

**..O..**

_The smile on her face didn't quite reach her eyes as she entered the doors of her home (technically _second_, first being her actual apartment of course). She expected the sounds of her two close nakama brawling to greet her, but was instead met by unusually normal chatter._

_She eyed all of the Guild members suspiciously before walking over to her usual spot at Mirajane's bar. The woman greeted her warmly before they both started to talk about trivial things, such as Mira's recent spread in Sorcerer's Weekly. (Mirajane's reaction being modest as the young mage drowned her in admiring compliments)._

_Behind her, a man cleared his throat, sick of wasting time by waiting for the chat to stop. Mira gave him a nod and a knowing smile (as if she already knew what reason he had to be there) before heading off to give Erza another slice of cheesecake. Lucy sighed and spun around on her stool to meet the face of her favorite rose-haired mage (not like there was any other competition for the title, with the exception of Edolas Natsu)._

_She noted that instead of the cheeky grin he would give her like usual, he wore a frown upon his face, his eyebrows furrowed as though he was thinking deeply about something. That meant that whatever he needed to tell her was probably highly serious. Her heartbeats quickened. Did he recall what had happened between them two weeks ago? She prayed to some deity that he didn't as he took a hold of her wrist and dragged her out of the guild. Through her worries, she didn't notice when Natsu looked back to Erza and Gray; both who caught his gaze and nodded._

_Once they were outside the doors of the guild, Natsu let go of his grip and turned to her, his expression unreadable. She gulped, nervous at the topic she felt he was going to bring up. She decided that the being silent might be a better possibility for her to get through the conversation smoothly._

"_So Luce…" he began, his tone a bit wary. Lucy's eyes widened as the fear within her grew. "We need to talk."_

_She meekly nodded in response._

"_So you know how Lisanna's back right?" he asked her, his tone brightening up at the mention of her name. Lucy nodded once again, her fear dissipated and replaced with confusion. Why was he asking her such an obvious question? Though, the way he said Lisanna's name felt like a punch in the gut._

_He brought his right hand up to scratch the back of his head, his expression… _sheepish_?_

"_Well, the team was just wondering if you could well…" he thought of how to phrase it in the least hurtful way possible. "Swap places with her?"_

_Lucy felt her heart sink into her stomach. "S-swap p-places?" she asked, hoping that she misheard what he had just said._

"_Yeah!" he cried out happily, too caught up with thoughts of Lisanna to notice the hurt that flashed through Lucy's eyes. "We wanted to get the old team back together y'know! It's a pretty good opportunity for you too! You could go on a solo mission and get stronger and maybe find some more keys!"_

_Lucy tried her best to hide the despair that she felt pooling in her. She was getting replaced. They were just… throwing her away? Just like that? She fought against the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks, not wanting to look weaker than she already was. She looked at him, giving him a wonderfully produced fake smile._

"_I understand Natsu," she said, hoping her tone didn't sound rather forced. Pain was eating away at her chest as she gave a light giggle. The laugh was so undeniably fake, yet Natsu didn't notice, sighing at her fast acceptance of the matter. "Don't worry. I'm fine with Lisanna taking my place! You guys are old friends anyways!"_

_The grin he gave felt like another blow against her chest. _

"_Natsu!" a voice cried out from somewhere down the road, and both heads turned to see – coincidentally – Lisanna walk over, her beautiful smile making Natsu grin ever further. Lucy couldn't handle it anymore, turning her head away as Lisanna stopped right beside Natsu, who in turn, draped a muscular arm around her shoulders._

"_Guess what?" he asked her excitedly, squeezing her gently. Lisanna looked up, her eyes wide and expectant. "You're back on the team!"_

_She gave an overjoyed squeal as she flung her arms around the Flame Mage. Natsu could only chuckled at the reaction, overjoyed himself that she could be back on their team. Lucy decided that it was the best moment for her to speak out before she broke down. She turned her head slightly to face the ecstatic pair, another perfectly executed fake smile adorning her face._

"_Congratulations Lisanna! I wish you guys the best of luck!"_

_With that, Natsu and Lisanna grinned and thanked her profusely before entering the Guild to give the good news. Lucy shook her head and turned away from the guild, her legs already moving before she had even thought of it. She didn't know how, but she somehow managed to reach her apartment, and as soon as she got inside and slammed the door, she knelt down, her heavy sobs flowing down her cheeks as she sunk into her lowest point of despair._

**..O..**

_She didn't show up at the Guild for about a week; maybe longer. Even she wasn't sure how much time had passed. Instead, she just tirelessly worked on her book, attempting to finish another chapter to give Levy to read._

_It didn't help that every single morning; she had her face meeting the pristine white bowl as she threw up the breakfast she had just consumed. She thought that it was just a passing fever, from all the stress that she had put herself under that past week. No; even she knew that it wasn't a fever, but something much more important._

_She shook violently as she dropped the stick on the ground, a small plus seen on it. Her eyes were wide in disbelief, thinking that there was no possible way. She wanted to believe it wasn't true. She wanted to believe that it was just another fictional tale that she had been reading. _

_No; she was still in reality._

"_I'm going to be a mother," she whispered quietly to nobody in particular. Her eyes drifted down to the flat expanse of her stomach. As she placed a hand upon it, her eyes softened. "I'm going to be a mother."_

**..O..**

_She took a final deep breath before she entered the door. The peaceful scene that greeted her made a sense of déjà vu pass through her mind. Ignoring the sickening feeling that came after remembering what conspired two weeks before (morning sickness didn't help her at all either) she strode over to Mirajane's bar, hoping that young woman would know whether Master Makarov was there._

_Placing herself on her especially reserved stool, she waited for her friend to come out of the kitchens. No sooner than a minute passed before Mira came bustling out, whistling a light tune as she carried a plate of pasta out. At the sight of seeing her favorite celestial spirit mage sitting in her usual spot, she gasped, nearly dropping the platter in the process._

"_Lucy!" Mira cried, her voice laced in surprise. "You're back! Where in Earth Land were you? You were gone for two weeks!"_

_She giggled at Mira's reaction, knowing that it was just her kind and concerned nature kicking in._

"_You worry about me too much Mira-san!" she said casually, waving her hand in a bashful manner. "I just took a break to write some more chapters of my book. God knows how long Levy's been badgering me about when I'd have it finished. Oh! I have a question to ask you Mira-san!" The waitress' eyebrow shot up in curiosity. "Do you know where Master might be?"_

_Mira was confused by the sudden question, though she didn't press the girl. "He's just in his office right now. He might be leaving soon though, so you might want to be quick."_

_Lucy threw her a thankful smile before hopping off the stool in the direction of his office. "Thank you Mira!"_

"_Lucy! Wait!" she stopped in her tracks, angling her head back to see Mira's worried expression. "Lucy, are you okay? Is there something wrong? You know that you can talk to me if you have a problem, right?"_

_Lucy stiffened slightly. She knew that Mira was just concerned for her well-being, but if she pried any bit more her secret might just slip out. Shaking her head at the pessimistic thoughts, she gave Mira a grin that could rival Natsu's._

"_Don't worry about me Mira!" she stated in an overly-cheerful tone. Mira still had her suspicions, but just shook them off, knowing that Lucy was a strong girl that could handle her problems, whatever they could've been. Though, she might've had to do some snooping around to find out what they were._

**..O..**

_She knocked tentatively at the door. At hearing the old man's voice saying 'Come in!' she obliged._

_Master was sitting cross legged on top of his work table, stacks of paper surrounding his small body. His arms were folded across his chest as his eyes scrutinized her with intensity. There was a moment's silence before Lucy took a breath and spoke._

"_Master, I need to ask you something," she began, her voice sounding weak. "Could it be possible for me to –"_

_Makarov raised his hand up, effectively silencing the frail girl. He had been expecting for her to visit him any day now, and he knew that the time had finally come._

"_You don't need to ask me anymore questions my dear. Just please answer mine with honesty," she nodded and he leaned forward. "Why?"_

_Lucy lowered her head down in shame, feeling her guilt pile on top of her shoulders. She could sense the disappointment in his words and felt awful at her selfishness. "I – I'm a coward Master. I can't face all the pain that I feel when I'm here. I'm just – I'm just a coward that's running away from her problems, just like when I ran away from home. But I'm not leaving only for myself, but for someone that I love as well."_

_Unconsciously, her hands drifted to place themselves upon her abdomen. At the action, Makarov realized just who she may have been referring to when she stated '…someone that I love…'_

_He shook his head as he placed himself in deep thought. Who could the father have been? He wasn't going to ask her, but he was still curious. There were many possibilities, but there was only one he thought was plausible. But considering that the plausible possibility was next-to-impossible, even he wasn't sure of it anymore._

_She jumped a bit when he spoke up again. "I'm not going to interrogate you any further, but I have one last question."_

_Lucy was surprised at Master's understanding. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized that he was in pain at the prospect of letting her go, almost like seeing a father let his daughter go. _Daughter_. That single word resounded in her head as she nodded._

"_How long will you be gone for?"_

_She faltered. Her mouth was open, poised to answer, but no words flowed out. To be honest, even she didn't know when. Thinking about it for a second, she sighed._

"_I – I'm not entirely sure…" she muttered uncertainly, her voice borderline sheepish. "I think I'll be gone for a while. At least three or four years, though most likely more than that."_

_He nodded, motioning for her to come forward. Once she was close enough he grabbed her right hand and placed his own on top of her mark. She felt slight warmth over the area before he let her go. She looked down and was surprised to find it clean and well… _empty_. The dull pain that lingered in her chest throbbed as she looked at the skin, feeling as if she were abandoned once again._

_She looked back to Master, who gazed at her with saddened eyes._

"_The mark may be gone," he explained. "But the moment that you step back through the main doors of Fairy Tail, whenever that time will be, the mark will reappear. We will all miss you like a sister my child," he grasped her hand once more. "I wish you luck for the future, Lucy."_

_The tears that she tried so hard to keep burst out as she encircled her father figure in a tight embrace._

"_Thank you. Thank you so much."_

**..O..**

_After her tearful farewell, she had one last place to visit before her long awaited departure from Fairy Tail: the library._

_As she entered her peaceful sanctuary, so many memories caught her in their hold. This place was her own personal treasure trove, and she wouldn't be seeing it for a long time. Someone near her cleared their throat and Lucy snapped out of her daze to be greeted by the smiling face of her best friend._

"_Hey Luce!" she greeted warmly, shutting the fiction book she was just reading closed. "What's up?"_

_She took a bated breath. "I'm leaving."_

_The sunny smile faltered as Levy blinked, clearly disbelieving her claim._

"_You're leaving." She enunciated slowly, making sure that she was absolutely sure. _

_She nodded._

_The small action made Levy gape, her head shaking in protest as she prayed Lucy was just playing a trick on her. When Lucy made no move to jump up happily and scream out 'Surprise!' she dropped the book and grabbed Lucy's forearms._

"_You have to be kidding me. You're just joking around with me, right Luce?" Levy asked, her tone desperate. Lucy slowly shook her head, the guilt she had earlier eating her up once more as she was tortured by the reaction. "Luce! Tell me you're not leaving! Tell me! You can't be leaving! You just can't be! Y – you can't…"_

"_I'm sorry," Lucy murmured in an agonized voice before breaking down in tears. "I'm so sorry Levy! I'm just a coward! I'm running away from all my problems! I just don't want to cause any trouble for anyone except myself! I can't handle the pain anymore! I just don't want to see it! I don't want to see _them_!"_

_Levy immediately latched onto her and circled her within her arms. Both girls were crying their hearts out at their pain. They didn't care about how much time passed, but eventually, their tears dried. While she was still sniffling, Levy gave her a tight squeeze._

"_Lucy. I honestly don't want you to leave," she whispered softly. "But it's your decision, and I have to be accepting of it. Just – just promise me that you'll come back to Fairy Tail. Oh! And that your book is finished by then."_

_Lucy chuckled weakly. "I promise."_

_The girls let go, but Lucy was surprised at the intense look Levy was giving her._

"_Luce," she began, her tone determined. "Is there another reason why you're leaving the Guild?"_

_Lucy froze. Her throat dried at Levy's question. Surely she didn't figure it out. "Why are you asking?" _

"_Well, for starters, you didn't deny it just then. And second, you've been clutching at your abdomen ever since you started bawling your eyes out. You know that I know it now so there's no use hiding it." She stated matter-of-factly._

_She sighed. "Why do you have to be so damn perceptive?" she muttered bitterly. "Please. Promise me that you won't tell _anyone_ about this. Only you and Master know, so don't spill it out to anyone. Please!"_

_Levy nodded. "Promise."_

_Lucy's frown slowly turned into a sad little smile as she presented a small knapsack that she especially prepared to give. _

"_Once you see what I gave you, you'll love me forever," she explained, noting Levy's shock. "But, there's a letter in there as well. Could you read it out to people only when someone asks where I am?" Levy nodded in understanding._

_Lucy gave her friend one last squeeze before parting and heading towards the door._

"_See you later Luce." Levy murmured, her voice laced in sadness._

"_Goodbye Levy."_

**..O..**

_Lucy gave one last fleeting look at the building behind her. It held so many memories, both good and bad. A part of her heart was left there. It was her home. But, she just couldn't handle the heartbreaking pain. She was too weak._

_She glanced down at her stomach, knowing that there was another person's wellbeing she had to think of before her own. She wasn't going to be lonely._

'_The next time I come back, I'll be stronger,' she thought in her mind, her hand straying above her stomach. 'I'll be stronger for the both of us.'_

**..O..**

The train's high pitched whistle woke her up, albeit groggily. When she looked outside the window, the familiar surroundings that met her eyes made them widen. A small tug on her jacket alerted her to the awakening of the little girl.

"M – Mama," a light voice cried. She looked down to meet large chocolate-brown orbs look up at her curiously. "Where are we now Mama?"

She looked back up to see the station once again, knowing that it was the real thing and not something conjured up from the figments of her imagination. She stroked her daughter's hair and gave her a reassuring smile to calm her down.

"We're at Magnolia Town sweetie," she said softly. She paused to look at the expression of curious wonder that came upon her daughter's face. "We're home."


	2. Welcome Home

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

I want to thank everyone who actually gave a shot at reading the first chapter of the story! I was really nervous and I kept on thinking how barely anyone might go and check it out… Anyways, special thank you's to everyone who reviewed or added this onto their favorites and/or alerts list! I'm guessing that means that you guys wanna read the next chapter, right?

Also, thank you to xLsierrax, who pointed out my mistake between how Lucy and Levy refer themselves with each other. I'm not going to fix it up in the prologue, but I've changed it here… Wait – that might be considered a spoiler. Never mind!

Just warning you all, the development of Lucy going back to Fairy Tail might be a bit… slow-paced for you. Just a small warning there.

Without further ado, I present Chapter 1 of 'To What We Once Were'

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – Welcome Home<strong>

To say she was nervous was an understatement.

She was quivering slightly as both she and her daughter stood in front of the doors. They were both wearing hoods, to cover their identities when they entered. Though, she knew that she wouldn't be harmed when she walked through the doors as Master's words echoed through her mind.

'_...the moment that you step back through the main doors of Fairy Tail, whenever that time will be, the mark will reappear..._' were the exact words that she somehow managed to remember throughout the years. Was she really that excited to go back to the Guild?

She looked down at the young girl that held onto her right hand, a look of pure amazement in her eyes as she stared up at the Guild, entranced by the mere sight of the building.

She took a deep breath before stepping through.

**..O..**

Levy sat at the bar, in the exact same seat her best friend used to reside in.

It's been almost six years since her departure, yet Levy could still remember the exchange they had beforehand. She wondered what had become of her Lucy and well... her child. That little boy and girl would've roughly been the age of five.

She sighed, recalling the day when the entire Guild went into uproar at her disappearance.

**..O..**

_Levy felt an odd mixture of joy and depression. Her joy came from the package Lucy had given her a few days before: the one and only copy of her finished book. She'd been reading and reading it over again, captivated by the writing. The depression came from well, Lucy leaving. She knew what reasons she had, but it still hit her hard._

_There was also a strong feeling of anger the lurked within her. That spanned from how _dense _her nakama were. Did they even notice that she had left? Did they even care?_

_She sat in Lucy's usual spot at the bar; chatting casually with Mira when someone finally asked the question she'd been waiting for._

_Everything was quite normal in the Guild, with Lucy's old teammates returning from their last quest, which made everyone more rambunctious than usual. They were the ones that Levy was starting to be spiteful to the most. Did _they_ care about Lucy leaving?_

_I was their cute little Exceed that piped up. "I wish Lucy were here. Where is she anyway?" Happy asked, his tone worried as he thought of his missing friend._

_Levy gasped, thanking the Lord that someone was smart enough to realize. The entire Guild went silent as they all began thinking the same exact question: Where was Lucy?_

_Natsu was the first to break the tense silence. "What are you talking about Happy? Lucy's probably off on a solo mission or something. Or maybe she's writing a bit of her book. No need to worry about it! Lucy's probably fine!" he said cheerfully, trying to reassure his friend._

_Levy was tempted to hit the idiotic Dragon Slayer._

_From somewhere behind her, someone cleared their throat. The Guild members turned to look at Mirajane._

_She seemed concerned. "Umm… There hasn't been a record of Lucy taking any solo missions in the past month," she murmured, her tone even more worried than Happy's. "I also dropped by her apartment the other day but it was empty. I thought that she might have been with you all, but now…"_

_Natsu's happy front faltered. "What?"_

"_It took you all a while to notice," a voice from the second floor stated. Everyone looked up to see Master Makarov standing on the banister, his arms folded and his face indifferent. "Our Lucy had left the guild nearly a week ago."_

_There was a pause._

"_She. Left?" Erza questioned, her voice slowly pronouncing the words in disbelief. Master Makarov merely nodded._

"_You've gotta be kidding, right gramps?" Gray asked, his tone also in disbelief. Makarov's face remained stoic and impassive._

"_We're her nakama!" Natsu cried, his hands clenched into fists, which were already beginning to burn. "Our Lucy wouldn't do that! She wouldn't just leave all of us like that! We're family right? Family wouldn't do that! Lucy wouldn't do that! She – she didn't even say goodbye…"_

"_If you don't believe me, why don't you ask Levy?" he stated evenly. All eyes turned to Levy, who stood petrified. She mentally cursed at Master Makarov before sighing._

"_She's gone," she said simply, reaching for the knapsack that she had kept with her at all times. "Although, she left a single letter to hand over to you when you finally realized that she had already left. I didn't think that you'd all take nearly a week. If Lu-chan knew about this, she'd probably be in tears."_

_Levy's words made them all feel the heavy weight of guilt on their shoulders. There was something wrong with Lucy, yet they never even noticed. _

_She handed Erza the letter, which had the words 'Fairy Tail' printed neatly on the front. Erza opened it, albeit a little shakily. She took a deep breath before pronouncing the words printed on the single piece of paper._

To my precious nakama,

If you're reading this, then it probably meant that I left already.

Guessing you all, you'd probably be breaking down the entire Guild by now. I wonder how long it took you all to realize that I was gone. Whatever number the days, I wouldn't feel insulted. It might've been better if you all never knew me in the first place. No; I would be heartbroken if you didn't know me. But thinking that is selfish, no?

I – I know that my weak apologies won't mean anything by now. I'm truly a weak person for doing this, but, I just couldn't handle it. I'm so sorry.

To Mira,

You're like the older sister I've never had. I want to ask if you can take care of all these idiots while I'm gone. You're like the mother most of us never had. Thank you for taking care of me. _(At hearing the message, Mira burst into tears, feeling guilty at the fact she never did anything to stop Lucy leaving.)_

To Levy, _(said girl perked up)_

You, along with Master, were probably the only ones who knew that I left. I – I hope that you enjoyed my gift to you. I've put a lot of work in it. I hope that you enjoy reading it. You're my best friend, and I'm really sorry that you had to carry all this with you. Good luck with your future exploits (you know what I'm talking about). _(At that point, said girl blushed, a few fallen tears streaming down her face.)_

To Gray,

You crazy-ass exhibitionist. All I wanna say is; don't kill Natsu or scar anyone with your weird habits. Oh! And you have to stop being oblivious and realize your feelings for a specific girl that shall remain unnamed for now. _(Gray was surprised, but then turned as red as a cherry-tomato, muttering curses under his breath.)_

To Erza, _(said girl took a moment to read the message meant for her, and many Guild members were surprised to see tears prick her eyes)_

You're like another older sister that I've never had. Please take care of the team. You're the only one I know that they'll listen to. Make sure that those two dolts don't kill each other in any missions. I – I'm sorry for leaving you like this. But, thank you so much for all you've done to take care of us. You're so strong, and I wish I could be as strong as you.

To Happy, _(the little crying Exceed's face shot up at the call of his name.)_

I'm so sorry Happy. You're probably taking this worse than most people. I'm sorry for leaving you without telling, but I had my reasons… I feel so selfish right now! I'm so sorry! You - you may not forgive me for this, ever, but please know that this was a hard decision for me to make, but I feel that it was the right one. You can feel free to hate me, but just know that I'll never forget you!

To Natsu,

You, out of all people, are probably taking this the worst (even more so than Happy). You'd probably be questioning why the hell I left, where I went, whether you should go find me and why I didn't even bother telling you goodbye. Like I said for my message to Happy, I had my reasons. I don't expect you to forgive me, but just know that I did this out of my own free will.

This is – this is really hard for me to write. Writing all the messages was hard, but I feel this is just impossible. I'm just – I'm really sorry that I had to do this. I know that not even a million 'sorry's' would make up for this, but it's worth a shot, right?

I want to thank you for introducing me to Fairy Tail, because, it's like introducing me to my long lost family. Thank you for always helping me and being my closest friend. I know that you hate it when those clost to your heart leave, but please know that I'll never forget about you! I'll never forget about all you've done for me! Thank you – thank you so much…

Goodbye.

_Nearly everyone in the guild had tears streaming down their faces, the cause being Lucy's heart-aching words. Though, out of all people, it was her old team that took the blow the hardest. There was something wrong with Lucy, yet they never knew it. They felt ashamed of themselves. Lucy had left and they had done nothing about it. _

_A large, pain-filled roar tore the depressing silence as Natsu began beating tables down, his eyes filled with hateful tears. He felt guilty, stupid, ashamed and angry with himself. He never noticed anything wrong. No; there _**was**_ something wrong. The time period when Lucy went missing from the guild, he was off enjoying himself with his friends. Lucy was suffering while he was having fun._

"_Natsu! Stop it!" Erza commanded, her tone still strong even though tears were free-falling from her eyes. "Breaking things isn't going to get you Lucy back. N – Nothing will."_

"_I'm gonna find her," he growled out, already heading in the direction of the door. "I'm gonna find her and beg her to come back. I don't care about what you're all gonna do, but I've made up my mind. Lucy _is _going to come back to Fairy Tail."_

_It was the last straw for Levy. Just before Natsu could get to the door, she went up and slapped him with all her strength._

_The entire Guild gaped at Levy's daring move. Natsu himself was shocked into silence at her action, while Levy did nothing but glare at him and his stupidity._

"_Lucy is gone! Let her live the way she wants to live now! What right do you have to interfere with the choices that she makes?" she cried out spitefully, bitter tears running down her cheeks. "It's too late now! If you wanted to do something about it, why didn't you notice that there was something wrong with her beforehand! I know that I'm guilty of ignoring her as well, but you're one of her closest nakama! You're her teammate; her _**partner**_! And you know what you did? You just ignored her, like some old stuffed toy! If anyone's to blame for her leaving, it's you!"_

**..O..**

She snapped out of her reverie at that precise moment. The events that happened after that were just… cataclysmic. It took nearly the entire Guild to calm him down from his guilty rage; the one that _she _had caused. When he was finally stopped, he cried. He cried for so long, it felt like an eternity. Lisanna was by his side the entire time, trying to comfort him as the guilt ate him away.

It took a long time for all of them to get over it, but eventually, the Guild members picked themselves up and got back up on their feet. They all acted as if there was never any Lucy Heartfilia in their Guild. Though, if anyone ever accidentally slipped up and said her name, they entire Guild would grow silent. Natsu himself would leave the Guild, knowing that if he didn't restrain himself, he might've destroyed the entire building.

She sighed, deciding that it was time for her to go back to the library. She had to admit, it was quite boring when practically the entire guild was gone. The only people left were her and Master Makarov. Everyone was either on a mission or helping Mirajane shop for items.

She slipped off the seat and began walking, but paused mid-step when she felt the breeze enter from the door. Her mind was racing. No-one was meant to come back for another hour or so. Was it an attack? She turned her head around to see a tall figure enter with a smaller figure. Both were wearing hoods, so she couldn't see their faces.

She glared and readied her battle stance, but stopped when the little figure's hood slipped off. It was… a little girl? The little girl looked around, wide-eyed with her surroundings. The taller figure made no move to stop her as the little girl ran around, but was instead staring intently at Levy.

"W – who are you?" she questioned, glaring intensely at the mysterious intruder. The intruder giggled; a giggle she hadn't heard in over… "Six years…"

"I know it's been that long Levy-chan, but you can't say that you've forgotten me already, right?" the familiar voice chirped happily, moving her hand to remove her hood. Once that was done, tears sprung up to Levy's eyes as she met face-to-face with a girl that's been missing for six years.

"Lu-chan!" she cried out, running and tackling her old friend. Lucy laughed at the response, but was also overjoyed at seeing Levy as well. Levy pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "You've been gone for so long. I started having my doubts! But now you're back! You're back! You're back! And since it's you, does that mean that the little girl is your –"

Levy's eyes widened, as she looked around to find the little girl sitting at the place she was just in earlier. This time, she got a better look.

The young girl was an absolute carbon copy of Lucy, save for her hair, which was some kind of… light pink color? The girl had the same face, the same giddy smile and the same warm chocolate-brown eyes that many people had come to love so much.

Lucy watched Levy intently as the woman stared at her daughter. She guessed that this was how she'd react. Hopefully though, the shock would block her perceptiveness so that she wouldn't figure out who the father might've been.

"Lu-chan! She's just… the cutest thing!" Levy cried, running over to the young girl to glomp her. Her daughter didn't show an ounce of fear, and welcomed the warm hug happily. Lucy laughed as she walked over to the pair before they began conversing.

"Hi! I'm your mommy's best friend, Levy! You can call me Auntie Levy!" she enthusiastically cried, loosening her grip a tiny bit. "What's your name sweetie?"

"My name is Ember Layla Heartfilia! It's nice to meet you Auntie Levy! Mommy's told me a lot about you! Like how you like to read, and how you're really pretty, and how you're in love with a really big scary guy that eats metal!" she replied back excitedly. Levy smiled her words, but at the last part, she blushed fiercely and glared at Lucy, who looked away sheepishly.

"I see…" Levy said, her tone flattening. Lucy just smiled and laughed it off while her daughter giggled.

"Hey Levy-chan," she began, her eyes trailing to the second level. "Do you know where Master Makarov is? I need to speak with him a bit about whether Ember and I could stay here in the Guild. And about some other things as well…"

"Oh! He's in his office! I think you'll manage to get there without my help, right?" Lucy nodded. "I'll take care of Ember for you while you chat."

"Thank you Levy-chan! Ember, you'll be playing with Auntie Levy right now, okay?" Lucy asked calmly. Her daughter nodded in understanding. "I'll be back in a little while okay. Have fun you two! Oh! Levy! She's probably hungry right now, so you might wanna go in the kitchen and feed her something."

As Lucy walked off, Ember turned to stare at Levy, who turned to lean down to her eye level. There was a moment's silence before Levy questioned her. "What do you wanna eat sweetie? Would you like some ice-cream?"

Ember made a disgusted face. "No! Ice-cream's too cold! Unless it's spicy, then I wouldn't mind. Do you have any spicy ice-cream Auntie?" Levy shook her head and Ember's face fell. "Oh… How about some ramen? I'll be fine with that! As long as it's spicy!"

"I think I can find something for you. Just stay here and wait okay?" Ember smiled and nodded as Levy left. She then grinned mischievously as she looked at the direction Lucy went.

"I wonder where Mommy went…" she muttered to herself before hopping off the chair and running off down the hallway, determined to find out where her mother had gone to.

**..O..**

"I don't think it would be a problem for you and your daughter to stay here with us," Makarov said, glancing at the paper in which held the layout of Fairy Hills. "I'm guessing you would like to be in the same room as your daughter so… one room would be enough, unless you would like more space…"

Just as he was about to point out which rooms were free, a large crash from somewhere down the hallway made them jump. They then heard the following cries of 'Mommy!' come closer to them. Lucy's eyes widened as she jumped out of her chair and opened the door.

At the doorway stood a small girl, her wide-eyes staring up at her mother. Makarov could only venture a guess that the little girl was in fact, Lucy's daughter. The little girl had a striking resemblance to Lucy, with the exception of her hair.

"Mommy!" she cried out, a wide full-toothed grin spreading across her face. Something struck within Makarov as he saw the grin. It wasn't Lucy's grin. Instead, it was…

He chuckled lightly. "So I was right all those years ago huh?" he muttered to himself. Both girls stopped arguing and looked at him, confused by his spontaneous laughter.

"Right about what ojii-chan?" she asked him, her eyes wide with curiosity. The eyes were undeniably Lucy's, but the expression she carried was also _his_. Surprise couldn't describe his feeling, though he wasn't at all disappointed at figuring out this new piece of information.

"Nothing you need to worry about," he said, shrugging his shoulders as if it were nothing important. "So this is your little Ember, huh Lucy?" Lucy nodded, but then glared at the little girl.

"Ember. Didn't I tell you that you'd be with Auntie Levy? Now I want you to go back there right now or you won't be getting any more spicy food for the rest of the week, okay?" she scolded lightly. At the threat of having no hot food, Ember kissed her mother on the cheek and waved at Makarov before high-tailing it out of there.

"That girl acts a lot like her father…" he spoke evenly. Lucy froze and stared at the older man wide-eyed. He only chuckled at her. "I think it's quite obvious by her actions who her father could be. I already had a suspicion when you were about to leave, but knowing I was right still came as a shock."

Lucy just shook her head, cursing at how wise the man could be. "Thankfully, her father's too dense to realize the truth before everyone else, so I think I might be able to avoid interrogation for now. So what were you saying earlier?"

**..O..**

Levy came out of the kitchen, a steaming bowl of spicy ramen in her hands. It took her two failed trials before she managed to get it right in the end, and she was quite proud of that fact. She smiled when she saw the little girl sitting patiently in her chair, waiting for Levy to come out.

'_What an angel_,' she cooed mentally as she placed the bowl in front of her. Ember's face lit up at the sight of the food, her mouth watering at how delicious it looked. Before Levy knew it, the little girl was already halfway through it, eating the spicy bowl as if it were air.

"What a huge appetite…" she muttered to herself as she watched the girl eat. "She likes spicy food as well, and that pink-tinge in her hair… Hmm…"

Just as she finished eating, the doors of the Guild flew open and both girls looked over to see most of Fairy Tail gathered at the entrance Levy mentally cursed. No-one was meant to come this early. If they figure out whom Ember could be… Who was she kidding? They were all gonna find out sooner or later anyways.

Mirajane wasthe first to speak. "Oh? Levy? Who's that little girl with you?"

In the crowd, she saw Wendy and Gajeel exchange glances and stare at her with a knowing gaze. Most of Fairy Tail's eyes were on her, expecting an answer to come out easily. Levy glanced down at Ember, who was looking up at her happily.

She cleared her throat. "Well… this little girl is…"

"My name's Ember!" the young girl cried out, dragging all the attention over to her. "You're the rest of Fairy Tail right? Mommy's said so much good things about you guys! Like how you're all strong and brave and fun! Nice to meet ya!"

The Guild members scrutinized her and Levy knew that it was only a matter of time before all was revealed.


	3. Revealing Secrets

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Hiya! I just wanted to thank everyone for the positive response I've been getting for the story. It makes me really glad that people are warming up to this story. Thank you especially to all those people who added this to their favorites and/or alerts list! There are quite a number of you who added it on their alerts list, which surprised me a lot! Also, thank you even more to those who reviewed! I really love reading the reviews you guys give me~

Anyways, I think a lot of you may have been awaiting this. It shows more of Ember's character, which has received a good response! Also, I believe that since Lucy is very interested in writing and reading, Ember is also very interested in those two things, which can sometimes lead to her seemingly large vocab for a five-year-old, in case someone questioned that in future.

I now present to you the second chapter of To What We Once Were. Enjoy~

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 – Revealing Secrets<strong>

All eyes were plastered upon the young girl that stared up at her elders in admiration. All the tales that her mother weaved about them left her enchanted, and seeing them in the flesh only increased her total adoration to them all.

Her bright chocolate-orbs struck a chord in all of them. It was almost as if she were a reincarnated Lucy. But at the thought that Lucy could've departed from the world made them all keep silent, their thoughts pessimistic and dark.

Mira decided that it would only be proper and nice of her to greet their little visitor. She stepped up and crouched down to Ember's height, flashing a radiant smile. Ember couldn't help but gape in awe at the beautiful woman in front of her. Before she even thought it, her arms had already latched onto her neck.

"You're Mirajane! I've seen you in pictures from Sorcerer's Weekly! I thought you were pretty then, but you're even prettier in real life!" Mirajane blushed at the compliment, moving to place her right hand on the young girl's back as she stood up so that she wouldn't fall. "Mama said that you're like the Mommy of Fairy Tail! And that you're really nice! And that you're the prettiest person in the Guild! Oh! She also said that when you get angry, you could turn really scary! Like a demon!"

At her final words, the Guild members gaped at her, in fear of what would happen to the poor child's well being. Levy was mentally cursing herself. Lucy's daughter might die and it was all her fault for not taking care of her properly.

Mira shook a bit, trying to contain her rage. She didn't want to look like a monster in front of the young girl since that would only fuel the thoughts of her being known as a demon. She took a deep breath and laughed it away. The Guild members continued gaping, surprised with Mira's reaction, as Mira herself continued to laugh. Once she laughed it off, she placed the young girl down and ruffled her hair.

"That's cute of you to say sweetie," she said, her tone mirthful. "And you don't have to call me Mirajane. Instead, call me Auntie Mira!"

Ember gazed at her in disbelief before giving Mira a toothy grin. Mira herself was left shocked at how similar it looked compared to...

Levy was full-out gaping, half of her in disbelief while the other half was crying in joy. It was definite. Ember had the grin, the headstrong personality and the humongous appetite to boot. There was no other possibility on who could've been her father.

"So you figured it out huh?" A low, gruff voice stated from beside her. Levy nearly jumped out of her skin to see Gajeel leaning against the counter, his arms folded across his chest as he stared at the young girl. "That kid has the scent of both her mother and father. I can't believe those dense idiots haven't figured out who she could be."

On her other side, Wendy nodded. "She looks exactly like her! But, she acts like him! I think that's a problematic combination."

Gajeel spoke up once more. "_Her _scent is in the building, and it's strong. Is there something you need to tell us Levy?"

Levy paused to look at him before shaking her head, leaning against the counter to gaze at Ember. "I don't think you need any explanation. Everything's gonna come slipping out soon anyways. Just let unfold by itself. We don't need the truth to suddenly blow out and shock everyone."

**..O..**

Lucy's breaths were shallow as she peered from the shadows of the hallway. Master Makarov was right behind her, indifferent about the whole interaction between Ember and most of Fairy Tail. What Lucy feared most was if they might recognize her. She saw Levy, Gajeel and Wendy leaning against the bar and deducted that they were the ones who knew who her parents – specifically father – could've been. She cursed at the highly sensitive smell that Dragon Slayers had.

She felt a chill run up her spine and saw that Gajeel had glanced in her direction, more so, they met gazes. She gulped in fear, but the man remained silent.

"I don't know why you're so afraid my child," Makraov sated calmly. "You were prepared to tell all of them about the both of you earlier. What's the difference now?"

She faltered at the question, her eyes drifting to her daughter who was conversing with Cana about something she couldn't make out. "I don't know... Just seeing them is making me nervous. It's just – It's been too long... It's been _so_ long, and I'm still a coward."

Makarov shook his head in protest. "You're not a coward. You're just concerned for your daughter's well-being. It's understanding for a mother to be overprotective of their own child, but look at how well they're interacting. I believe that the time is near."

**..O..**

Ember felt like she was somewhere in her own fairytale (no pun intended). Meeting so many of the people she considered super-heroes made her feel as if she were on Cloud Nine. Most of the members she had talked to (and inadvertently insulted) told her to refer to them as either 'Auntie' or 'Uncle'. At the thought of calling all of them by that made her feel as if she were part of one big, crazy family.

In the end, she managed to end up talking to absolutely everyone except for the two people that were standing next to Auntie Levy. Feeling that she shouldn't be rude, she walked up to the trio who stopped their chat once they saw the little girl.

"Hi Ember!" Wendy greeted, crouching down to her eye level. She pointed over to Gajeel then back to herself. "That big guy is Gajeel, and I'm Wendy! Nice to meet you!"

If Ember's eyes weren't wide enough, they grew even larger at the introduction. "Gajeel and Wendy?" she asked, her tone on the borderline of squealing. Wendy nodded, amused by her reaction. "Oh my gosh! You guys are Dragon Slayers right! That's what Mommy told me! And she said that Dragon Slayers are really powerful! And then she said that Wendy was really cute and could heal people really well! Oh! She also said that Gajeel looked like a big scary guy but he's actually a big softie! And that he has a _big_ crush on –"

Wendy slapped a hand on top of Ember's mouth before she could continue any further. Gajeel's head was turned away, clearly trying not to make eye contact with the young girl who knew _too_ much. Levy was staring confusedly at Ember, blushing crazily as she wondered what Ember might've revealed.

"That's enough talk about us, right Ember?" Wendy said, her voice bashful.

"Levy!" a voice called and everyone turned to see Mira standing behind the counter, a curious little smile spread across her face. "You never told us why Ember was here. Where's this 'Mama' of hers that's told her so much about us?"

"Huh?" Levy asked, anxiety building up inside of her. "Well, you see... Her mother went out just now! A little errand that she had to take care of. I don't really know when she'll be back though..."

"Really?" Mira asked, her tone clearly disbelieving the claim. "You know... Ember looks really familiar. Don't you guys think?" Her fellow nakama murmured in agreement. "Ember, honey, could you tell us what your Mommy's name is?"

"Sure!" she cried out cheerfully, but a shaking in her pocket made her pause for a moment. A mischievous grin – which everyone felt was extremely familiar – came upon her features. "But first, I need to ask you a question. If you say yes, I'll tell you my Mama's name. If you say no, I'll keep it a secret!"

Everyone in the Guild gave her looks of doubt, but Mirajane obliged. "What's your question sweetie?"

"I wanna be a mage! Can I join Fairy Tail? Huh? Huh?"

Mira was shocked, unable to find words to tell the young determined girl. If she said no, she'll never know the truth. If she said yes, many dangers might come at the girl. It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place, and she wasn't even the one who made the final say-so anyways!

"Umm..." Mira said unsurely. "I'm not quite sure whether you can join the Guild yet honey. You might be a bit too young... Also, you need to have some type of magical power."

Ember narrowed her eyes and pouted. "If you guys say that I can't be mage, then I won't tell you who my Mommy is!" The Guild member's faces fell, their expectations dwindling. "Though, showing you all my magic is a different matter, right? Can I show you all my power?"

Mira realized the loophole that could be found but spoke nothing of it for the time being. Instead she just nodded. Ember smiled thankfully at her and Mira felt as if she'd seen the exact same smile before, but she just couldn't remember when.

Ember slipped a hand into her pocket, and when she brought it back out, she was holding a silver key. Levy's eyes widened, realizing how Ember could risk her mother's secret if she shows her power. She made a move to step forward but was held back by Gajeel.

"Don't you remember your own words from earlier? We need to let things unfold by itself. They'd all eventually find out sooner or later, though it seems that sooner is now the more plausible option."

Ember stared determinedly at the key that she held in front of her. Remembering her mother's explanations on opening the gate to the Stellar World, she cried out. "Open a Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!"

**..O..**

She saw everyone's eyes widen in recognition from the words Ember spoke. She took a deep breath, knowing that the secret on the identity of her mother was next to uncovered. She decided to suck up her fears and step out.

Her hood was on as she slipped to the area where three of her closest nakama were watching Ember's show. Only Levy seemed to be surprised by the power that Ember carried out of the trio. Wendy watched her with a smile while Gajeel had a mask of indifference. She settled herself beside Wendy and watched her daughter unleash the gift she had given her.

"She's really powerful," the voice beside her whispered and Lucy turned slightly to see Wendy grinning at her. "I guess that's what happens when her mother's a powerful Celestial Mage and her father's a Dragon Slayer, right Lucy?"

She sighed and managed a small smile before turning back to look at her daughter. She seemed so lively. It was as if... as if she had come home.

**..O..**

Ember was proud of herself. There were looks of pure disbelief on everyone's faces as her favorite Stellar Spirit came out of the gate. With the soft cries of 'puu – puun' coming out, those who recall knew who the girl had summoned.

"Everyone! I'd like you all to meet Nikora, the Canis Minor! Though, he's mostly referred to as Plue! Plue, this is Fairy Tail!"

There was a silence as Ember moved to pick up Plue. They were all too shocked to utter a word. Every single person in that building knew who Plue had belonged to before. For a few of the members, they were slowly fitting the pieces together of Ember's identity. All the waited for then was her mother's appearance.

Mirajane was once again the first to break the silence. "Umm... Ember, sweetie, who gave you that key?"

Ember glanced confusedly at Mira then down at her key then back to Mira. "My Mommy did. Why d'you ask?"

Mira closed her eyes for a moment, trying to clear her thoughts before re-opening them once more. "You know that you asked if you could show us your powers, and I said yes. You said that if I answered your question and said yes, you'll answer mine. Now please tell me, who's your Mommy?"

Ember pouted then sighed. "You're so smart Auntie Mira. You win. My mommy is..." Her eyes drifted to see the mysterious fourth figure that was standing beside Wendy. Ember's eyes widened and her pout turned into a smile as she ran up to the cloaked figure, Plue following in suit.

"Mommy! Did you see me do that? Huh? Huh? I remembered what you told me and I did it!" she said excitedly, forgetting all about Mira for a moment. "But now they're all asking me who you are. Why are they so curious about you, Mama?"

The cloaked figure sighed and picked up her confused daughter. All the eyes of the Guild were on her, but she felt no fear. It was finally time to face her fear.

"It's – It's been a while, don't you agree?" she asked, her voice soft. The people around her felt tears spring up, hoping that they weren't just facing an illusion. She took off the hood from her head and heard the startled gasps. "It seems like nothing's changed, even after six years... I'm sorry about what happened back then. But, I guess you can all see why I left... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! But – But now, I'm – I'm home."

Her nakama all burst into tears of joy as they all ran up to hug her; to make sure that she was really there. The radiant smile that she gave them all was like the appearance of the Sun after weeks of rain. Their Lucy, she was finally back.

The cries of "Lucy", "Luce" and "You're back" were the only things that she had heard for a few moments. A pair of arms from behind encircled her and she was delightfully surprised to see Mira there, crying in her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't notice how ignored you felt back then! I had the power to stop you but I was too oblivious! I'm so sorry Lucy! Don't go away! Please! Never leave Fairy Tail again! We all missed you too much! We'll never let you go anymore!"

A chorus of "aye's" and "yes's" followed in suit of Mira's exclamation. She felt so touched, guilty at how much pain she caused but overjoyed at how much they all missed her. It was as if a strong surge of emotions that had been residing in her for six years was unleashed as she cried out tears of happiness.

Makarov watched the whole scene unfold from his favorite spot at the banister. His cheeks were wet from the tears that he himself had been shedding. Since her departure, no-one in Fairy Tail had been quite the same, but he had the feeling that things could finally run smoothly once more.

Ember was confused at everyone's tears. Why were they all crying? Were they sad? No; many of the adults were crying and laughing at the same time. She just looked quizzically at the massive group hug from her vantage point in her mother's arms thinking how weird people get when they grow older.

**..O..**

It was a while, but eventually they all began to part, everyone content with how their feelings were unleashed. Most people stared at the pair as Lucy began commenting and complimenting Ember on her summoning of Plue. Ember listened intently, trying to grab as much information as she could about what she could improve on. Once they were done, Cana asked the other question that was on everyone's lips.

"So Lucy," she began, taking a pause to chug her bottle of beer before continuing. "Since we now know that you're the mother of Ember, I think people want to know, who's her father?"

The smile on Lucy's face froze as she felt her knees give way from a sudden chill that passed through her. She knelt on the ground, her head lowered as she tried to get rid of the memories. Ember glared at Cana, who wasn't fazed at all by the hatred that emanated from the young girl. Instead, she was more concerned for her friend, who seemed to be petrified.

"Mama, are you okay?" Ember asked, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck and looking at the woman worriedly. Lucy made no response as the fear that she thought dissipated returned once more.

"Lucy? Lucy? Are you alright?" Mirajane asked, stroking Lucy's back comfortingly. There was still no response from the woman.

A large crash from the doorway made everyone's heads snap up from Lucy to the newcomers. Eyes widened as they realized that it was possibly the worst timing for them to arrive. Whether it was just coincidental or fated, even they didn't know.

"Hey!" the front man's voice cried out happily, his arm wrapped around his white-haired teammate and partner. "We're back everyone! And we didn't destroy that much stuff as well so we got like, heaps of Jewels! And - why are you all staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

A sharp gasp came from Lucy as she recognized the voice. Although it was slightly deeper than it was six years ago, she could never forget it, even if she wanted to. She began to shake, her dreaded fear consuming her. Ember's eyes widened as she saw her mother react to the new man. She glanced determinedly at the keys that were attached to her right hip and knew what she had to do to avenge her pained mother.

Before anyone could react, Ember slipped off the keychain from her mother's belt and ran off through the crowd, heading towards the front where the idiotic rose-haired man was still staring confusedly at everyone.

"Hey!" she cried out, pointing at the stupid man and glaring at him fiercely. People had to admit that her glare of pure hatred could nearly match one from Erza herself. "You! You're a stupid rose-haired idiot that made my Mama react that way! I don't know who you are, but I'm gonna kill you!"

"What?" he asked, still confused at the situation. But, as the young girl lifted a golden key out, a flash of recognition passed through his eyes. Before he knew it, the key was being pointed directly at him in a threatening manner.

Ember took a breath, trying to retain the information that her mother had told her earlier. "Open the Gate of the Maiden! Vir –"

"Ember! Wait!" a voice cried out from behind her frantically. Her eyes widened at the sound of pain that filled her voice, but that wasn't the only thing. The eyes of the people in front of her widened as they recognized whose voice it belonged to. The man in front of her practically froze, reacting the same way her Mama did when she was asked about her unknown dad.

She spun around to see the crowd behind her part like the Red Sea as the figure of her mother came running towards her. As soon as Lucy met with Ember, she fell to her knees and hugged her tightly. Tears welled up in Ember's eyes as she realized that her mom was in so much pain.

"Please," Lucy pleaded, her tone desperate. "Please never do that again. If you summoned Virgo then, I don't know what would've happened to you Ember. Please. You're still not strong enough. Don't just go off running like that. Promise me. Please!"

Ember wailed and cried in her mother's shoulder. "I promise Mommy! I promise!"

It felt like an eternity that the mother and daughter stayed like that, holding each other in isolated comfort. The Guild members could only stay silent and watch the touching interaction between the two, but then they looked at the team that still stood dumbfounded at the door.

He was the first one to break the silence. "L – Lucy?"

She inwardly cringed at the way he said her name, but didn't outwardly flinch. She took a deep breath before looking up to meet his eyes. They were wide in shock and disbelief. If the situation weren't so depressing, she may have just smiled a bit.

Shock was an understatement. He couldn't form any words as he saw the woman that had haunted his memories and plagued his thoughts kneeling in front of him, a child in her arms. She looked up at him and he felt a pain that he could compare to a stab in the heart. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, and he could see pain; so much pain, reflected within them.

"N – Natsu," she murmured quietly, her voice so quiet that even he could barely hear it. Her daughter looked imploringly at her and then looked back at the man who was much closer to her than she first believed.

The Guild members held their breaths as they wondered what would unfold between the estranged pair.


	4. Let's Start Over

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Wow. Just wow.

Thank you so much for... well, _everything_. First, the reviews. I realized that I left you all with a cliffhanger, so you're probably itching to read what happens between _them_. Next, the favorites and alerts. This is quite a recent story, but I'm really surprised at the amount of people who are continuing to read this! Just… thank you _so _much!

Now, about what Sinful. Emerald had pointed out; I went under the assumption that, since Ember _is _Lucy's daughter, she could use Lucy's keys and such. I probably should have done more research in that area. I would have to say that I will be continuing the fact that she can summon Plue in this chapter, but after this, I may not mention it again. It depends on what happens.

Also, I'm really glad about the feedback for Ember. I have to admit, it's really fun to write her character. So it's really great that you readers like her!

Now, I present to you Chapter 3 of To What We Once Were.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 – Let's Start Over<strong>

The tension between the pair was so thick; it might have been possible to cut it with a knife. No-one dared speak, move or even breathe as they waited patiently to see what might unfold; almost as if they were at a movie cinema watching an overly-dramatic chick-flick.

Even Ember dared to stay silent, still confused at what was going on between the two adults. They were acting strange; that was all she could gather from their actions.

Natsu gulped, his throat unbearably dry. "Y – You're back."

She blinked, but then nodded slowly. Everyone that surrounded them leaned forward, even more curious at what they might say.

"It – It's been awhile, don't you think Natsu?" Lucy stated, her voice oddly calm considering the situation. She noticed how one of his arms was draped over Lisanna and felt a pain stab through her chest. She didn't make any comment though, and only waited for his response.

"Y- Yeah..." he muttered dumbly, his eyes trying evade her penetrating gaze. Lisanna was looking up at him worriedly, concerned at what he might do.

They felt the mood dampen even further. They knew that someone should speak out, say something warm and welcoming, but no words came to their lips. The awkwardness that surrounded them felt like a thick barrier. They were simply… _frozen_.

"LUUUUUCY!" an emotional voice cried, and everyone turned to see Happy flying straight towards his old companion, buckets of tears falling from his eyes. "YOU'RE BAAAAACK!"

As the Exceed barreled into her chest, Lucy giggled, all thoughts of Natsu temporarily replaced. The light, charming sound echoed through the silence of The Guild, brightening up the mood completely. Ember relaxed, knowing that her mother was somewhat better. Natsu's mood just darkened, Lucy's laughter feeling very much like one of Gray's punches, though he was unsure why.

As Lucy stroked Happy's fur, her interaction with Natsu seemingly forgotten, two figures came up to crouch beside her. Before she knew it, a pair of arms wrapped around her and Lucy turned to see the fearsome scarlet-haired mage that she admired weeping into her shoulder.

"You – You better not pull off a stunt like that again!" she cried out, her tone a mixture of reprimanding and joyful. "Do you know how much _all _of us missed you Lucy! I swear, if you ever, _ever _pull a stunt like that again, this Guild will stop at nothing to tear down every single building in all of Fiore until we find you!"

Her nakama all chorused their agreements and Lucy felt like crying once more at how much they care for her.

Once Erza's arms were off of her, a large hand belonging to someone on her other side ruffled her hair affectionately. Lucy pouted ant turned to see Gray grinning like crazy. "You – you better not do that again! Everyone missed you here baka!"

She wiped away the remaining tears from her eyes. "I think that I sorta figured that out already Gray, but thanks for the heads-up."

Ember was glad to see her mother act normally, but then turned to the pair that still stood by the door. She decided to be polite and apologize for her actions, thinking back on what her mother might say if she stayed rude.

"Hey you! Pink-haired idiot!" she cried, pointing at him once more. He turned his gaze towards her and raised his eyebrow. He was surprised when the young girl bowed at him. "I'm really sorry about threatening you earlier! I hope that you can accept my apology and forgive me!"

For some odd reason, he just couldn't help but take a liking to her, but he was still a bit suspicious. "I forgive ya, but why are you suddenly apologizing? I thought that you might've held a grudge for me for at least a couple of hours before begging for forgiveness."

She glared at the older man. "Baka! I'm not begging! I'm just doing this 'cause Mama might ban me from eating spicy things for a week! I really like spicy food, so I don't want that to happen! You're really stupid, aren't you?"

She skipped off, not regretting any comment that she made against the idiot. Natsu fumed, angry that the young girl got the final word. "Never mind about forgiving you! I un-forgive you now!"

Lisanna watched the whole interaction, something clicking in her head as she recalled the young girl's words. "She called Lucy 'Mama' earlier. Does that mean..."

"YOU'RE A MOM?"

Lucy looked up to see Erza, Gray, Juvia (who had tagged along with the team), Happy, Lisanna and Natsu all looking at her, shock written across their faces. The volume of their voices had effectively deafened her for a few moments.

"Yeah." Levy commented, moving forward to help her best friend stand up. "Is there a problem with that? Now you guys know why she left the Guild a couple of years back. She was only concerned for the well-being of her daughter!"

Lucy was thankful that Levy had defended her, but was still worried about when they might ask her the other question. Hopefully, _he _would be too much of an idiot to realize who Ember's other parent might be.

Cana glanced between Natsu and Lucy, took a sip out of her fourth beer, and then spoke up. "Lucy, forget about my question earlier." Lucy glanced up, her eyes wide in shock and anxiety. "I think I might already know the answer."

Mirajane looked at Cana, then at Lucy, and then scrutinized Ember. Her eyes widened as it finally clicked in her head. "Oh my gosh. How could I be so blind? Lucy! I can't believe it! But how? How could this have happened without me noticing?

Lucy blinked. "What are you talking about Mira?" she asked cautiously, nervous about the answer.

"The father! The father!" Mira cried out in hysterics. "I should have known it from the moment I laid eyes on your little girl! Gosh! It's just so _obvious _that it's not even funny! I'm so blind! How many people figured it out already?"

Levy, Wendy, Charle (who had been watching everything unfold silently since Ember's attempted summoning), Gajeel, Pantherlily (who had come with Charle) Master, Cana and a few other members of the guild raised their hands (or in the Exceeds' case, paws) up. Mira wailed at her stupidity and ran off to the kitchens.

"Mama," Ember began, her eyes trailing after Mira before scanning the room. "What are they all talking about? Why are they saying that they already know who my Daddy is? Is my Daddy here Mama? Is he a Mage?"

Lucy's throat dried as she thought quickly of how to evade the question. She then noticed Plue still residing beside her daughter. "Ember, how long have you been summoning Plue for?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. It was ever since earlier, remember! Don't worry about it Mama! Now, why won't you answer my – "

Ember froze, her eyes turning a little glassy before they closed and she collapsed in her mother's arms. The Guild members began worrying and fretting, but Lucy remained calm, despite the situation. She sighed and took one of her keys, the very same key that Ember was about to summon before.

"Open the Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!"

Out of her gate, Virgo bowed deeply to her summoner. "Princess, is it time for my punishment?"

She shook her head. "Can you take Ember and out luggage to our rooms in the Fairy Hills? Also, please tuck Ember in and watch over her until she wakes up. When she does, you can take her back to me."

Virgo nodded as Lucy handed over her daughter into her arms. "As you wish my Princess. I will receive my punishment from you another time then."

As the pair took their leave, Lucy sighed once more and stood up, her stare fixated on her old team members. She smiled weakly at them. "So, I'm a mom. Is it that much of a deal? I'm just, really sorry about not saying goodbye six years ago. But, as you could see, I had my reasons."

She stepped forward, towards the pair that hadn't moved a single step since getting there. Lisanna smiled and escaped from Natsu's hold to warmly greet her old nakama. "Welcome back Lucy," she murmured in her shoulder. "We missed you."

Lucy giggled and returned the affectionate motion before turning towards Natsu. She lowered her head down, feeling almost shameful to be standing in front of him after knowing how much pain she had caused.

"I – I don't expect you to forgive me for this, _ever_. But," she gazed directly into his eyes, hoping that it would make him listen to her. "I don't want there to be any awkwardness between us. You were my closest friend, and I don't want our friendship to end just like _that_."

He sucked in a breath, running his fingers through his already tousled hair as he thought it over. "I – I don't know Luce."

She shot him a disappointed smile. "I understand Natsu. It's alright though. I sorta expected this anyway," she muttered, her tone a tad bit bitter as she turned her back on him. "Goodbye."

At the last word, something inside of him struck. In pure instinct, he caught her wrist and spun her back. Lucy was surprised yet elated when he felt muscled arms wrap around her.

"Wait," he muttered, almost as if it were a command. Lucy froze, her pounding heartbeats echoing in her ears. "Don't say goodbye. I can never handle it when someone tells me goodbye, and _you_ know that. I - I want it to go back to before. I want us to be friends again. I swear that if you ever say goodbye to me like that again, _I_ will hunt you down to the ends of Fiore. Please don't go."

Lucy fought the urge to shed tears. "Don't worry," she whispered happily, wrapping both her arms around him. "I promise I won't ever leave."

_You_. The final word meant for the sentence never escaped her lips. She knew that is she had said it, their relationship would turn awkward again as the implications of intimacy would be used on them.

A squeal from behind them made the couple jump and separate from each other. All the Guild members turned to see Mirajane standing there, returned from her funk in the kitchens, her hands clasped together and her eyes sparkling. Although she thought that Lisanna and Natsu were cute together, she'd always been a Natsu and Lucy supporter since the beginning. Knowing the secret that Lucy had kept only made her belief in the couple heighten. But seeing the two of them _embracing _like that sent her off to the moon.

"Y – You guys are _so cute_!" she cried out in joy, and people in the Guild could swear that her feet were _off _the ground.

Lucy immediately reddened and pushed away from Natsu, so no-one would get the wrong idea from their _platonic _hug. Natsu just looked at Mirajane and Lucy confusedly before moving back to the position he was in earlier with Lisanna. Lucy couldn't help but feel a little heart-broken at the sight.

Erza sighed, seeing at how her friend was reacting to seeing her two old friends being together. "Hey Lucy," said girl perked up. "Since you're back, how about we celebrate your return? I don't think anyone would have any objections to that, right?"

At the sense that Erza might punish someone if they didn't follow as she said, they all shook their heads in answer. Erza smiled in satisfaction before grabbing Lucy by the wrist. "Now, we need to talk about what you've been up to for the past six years. Other than raising Ember, you must have done something else. We can discuss this back at Fairy Hills."

"Hey!" Levy cried, grabbing Lucy's other wrist. "I wanna know what Lu-chan's been up to as well!"

Mira's eyes widened as she realized that it might be the perfect time to question Lucy about her feelings. "I'm going as well. You boys can fend for yourselves for the time being!"

Most of the girls exchanged gazes and shrugged, each of them wanting information out of their beloved Celestial Mage. Soon enough, the Guild was cleared of the female population. The boys stared wide-eyed after the girls.

"Hey!" Happy whined, perching himself upon Natsu's shoulder. "Don't _we _get any time with Lucy? _I_ wanna know what's been going on with her!"

Natsu glared after the parade of girls. "Yeah. She's our best friend! We have the _right _to know with what she's been doing in her life!"

Gray put an arm in front of the seething pair to stop them. "Are you an _idiot_? Wait – we know you already are," Natsu growled. "This is _Fairy Hills _we're talking about. That place is next-to-impossible to enter on a _normal _day. With Lucy and all our female nakama in there, how hard d'you think it'll be to get in?"

Natsu pouted. "Fine. But I have first dibs with chatting to her later out of all of you!"

They all rolled their eyes at his immaturity.

**..O..**

"So... Lucy," Erza asked, leaning forward to question her. "How about we start with the beginning."

She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Well... almost six years ago, I left the guild. I was roughly a month pregnant with Ember at that time," she said, anxious at how her friends might react to the story. They all gaped when they realized that she was already pregnant and they hadn't noticed. "I travelled around for awhile, using the Jewels that I saved for my apartment. When I was two months pregnant, I stumbled into my father's old guild at Acalypha."

Eyes widened at her last statement but they stayed silent, excited to know what might have happened next.

"I told them about my condition and they took me in when I said I was Jude and Layla's daughter. I helped around the Guild, doing jobs like Mira would usually do and eventually saved up enough Jewels to afford a small apartment. I rented one out in Hargeon Town and started working at a Magic Shop that I visited before coming to Fairy Tail."

"How long did you stay there for Lu-chan?" Levy questioned, her cheek pressing against her palm.

"For awhile actually," Lucy replied, her eyes glazed as fond memories of her time in the town returned to her. "The income was steady enough, and I met a lot of travelling mages, who gave me different tips for my power. I became really good friends with the shop-owner's wife, who helped me during labor... I stayed there for a couple of years more, until the shop closed down. That's when I decided that we needed to move back here."

"You said that mages gave you tips. Did you train and hone your power?" Erza asked her. Lucy didn't even find the matter of her question all too surprising, and actually expected it.

"Yes. I tried to train daily. Capricorn helped me as well, telling me all the training techniques that my mother had used when she was a Spirit Mage. They were quite helpful, and eventually my endurance to keep Stellar Spirits out had increased, and my power to use more than one Spirit at a time had increased. At the moment, I can have a maximum of three Sprits out for somewhat long periods of time. I also tried honing this power that I used once with Hibiki's help; Uranometria. Most of the times I tried it myself ended in disaster, but I'm still learning how to summon it now. Also, I've been training with the Fleuve d'étoiles, and the Lucy Kick has _definitely_ improved," she explained, her last statement finished with a light giggle.

Erza nodded, a small smile on her face. She could tell that Lucy had definitely increased in power, and knowing how it had grown definitely pleased her, and made her feel proud on some level.

"Okay~ Now my question!" Mirajane said excitedly. She leaned forward, as if what she was about to ask was scandalous. "Did you have any _relationships _during these past six years?"

Lucy flushed pink, definitely not prepared for the question that had just hit her. "W-w-well… N-not r-really. B-between t-tr-training a-and work and t-taking care of Ember, there wasn't that m-many chances," she managed to splutter, reminiscent of a blithering idiot.

Mira and the rest of the girls (excluding Erza, who only gave an amused smile) giggled at her reaction. Lucy reddened further and lowered her head in shame. Levy placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry Lu-chan. We can find a guy for you here! Maybe someone in the Guild!" Levy stated happily, squeezing Lucy's shoulder. "I'm sure that someone is gonna fall head-over-heels for you sometime soon!"

"Levy would probably be fine as long as it's not Gajeel you're after," Cana added mockingly, making Levy face turn into a cute pink-color.

"Juvia would be fine as long as you're not after Gray-sama," Juvia stated, an edge of threat in her voice. "Also, if the child is _not _Gray-sama's, which she is hopefully not, Juvia believes that we could be the best of friends!"

Lucy sweatdropped. "I assure you Juvia, Gray is _definitely not _the father."

Juvia smiled and moved forward to hug her, a big smile adorning her face. "Lucy-san and Juvia shall be the greatest of friends!"

Lucy awkwardly returned the hug. "I'm glad to be friends with you Juvia."

Cana snorted when she recalled Juvia's earlier statement. "Gray being Ember's father? Are you seriously _that _blind? Hasn't everyone already figured this out?"

Lucy glared. "What are you talking about now Cana?"

"Her father _is_ in this Guild, right?" Cana asked, evading Lucy's previous question. Lucy's eyes widened. "I take that as a yes! Have you told her yet?"

"Told who? And told what?" Lucy asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Ember of course! Don't you think she has the right to know? Every single girl out there deserves to have a father take care of them!" Lucy flinched, Cana's comment hitting her hard. Cana's eyes widened in realization when she saw Lucy's reaction. "Oh my gosh. Lucy! I didn't mean to!"

"It's alright. I know that every girl deserves to have a strong, protective father," Lucy murmured, her tone regretful. "But, what am I supposed to tell her? 'Ember, I know I've kept it from you, but your daddy is actually someone in this Guild.' Is that what I have to say?"

"M-Mama?" a tiny voice questioned. Lucy's eyes widened when she heard the voice, her head spinning around to meet her daughter's surprised eyes. "My d-daddy's in this Guild? H-he's here?"

Before anyone could stop her, Ember had already darted around all the Guild members and escaped through the front door. They all glanced at Lucy, who was staring after her daughter, her eyes wide in fear. She gazed at everyone pleadingly. They exchanged glances before nodding determinedly and hopping out of their chairs. Cana and Mirajane were shouting for people to go and divide throughout the different paths towards the Guild. Levy, Erza and Juvia helped Lucy up before they started running out of the building.

In the town, cries of 'Ember!' echoed throughout. Lucy was still wide-eyed, her eyes scanning every direction for any trace of her little girl. So many things were running through her mind as she ran towards the one place she knew her daughter would go to.

**..O..**

The men in the Guild were bored out of their minds. They had already fought about trivial things and were lying down, scattered all over the wooden floor. Natsu and Gray staggered to their feet, determined not to lose.

"O-One more round," Natsu muttered, placing a hand over his heaving chest. Gray mumbled in agreement. Both of them wobbled towards each other, but another pang of pain stopped them in their tracks. Another pang and they both toppled to the ground, groaning.

Only the sound of breathing could be heard for a moment. "Why the hell is it so _boring_ without girls around?" Gray questioned to no-one in particular. Natsu shrugged his shoulders.

A bang from the entrance resounded through the building. All eyes moved towards the front as they saw a silhouette of a young girl standing there. She stepped forward into the building, the light making her face more visible. Her clothes were a little torn and there were scrapes and scratches on her legs. There were tear tracks across her cheeks and Natsu felt another pang of pain from seeing her, her crying face exactly the same as Lucy's.

She scanned the room her eyes meeting with every single member's that was there. Her eyes met with Natsu's last, and he could see devastation fill them almost a moment after.

Her knees fell to the battered floor as she wailed out. Her cries sounded so painful that even they could feel heart-break. Natsu wasn't good with kids, but she was too reminiscent of Lucy _not _to be ignored. He crawled towards her slowly. She didn't even notice him come towards her until he placed a hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair in an affectionate manner.

Everyone's eyes widened as they saw the scene, especially those who had just arrived at the door. Fear shot through Lucy as she saw how close _he _was to _her_. She only hoped that Ember would never notice.

"W-what's wrong Ember?" Natsu asked nervously, hoping that he sounded reassuring on some level.

She looked up at him, her eyes teary. "M-M-Mama said th-that," she stuttered out, only pausing to sniffle. "H-He's… G-G-Guild… D-D-Da-Daddy…"

Natsu's eyebrows furrowed at the statement. "Daddy?"

At the word, Ember burst into tears once more, her arms automatically latching onto Natsu's neck. Natsu was startled for a moment before he awkwardly placed a hand on her back and rubbed the area soothingly.

"D-Don't worry about it Ember," Natsu muttered in an attempt to be nice. "We'll find out who your daddy is."

She looked up at him with large, puppy-dog eyes that no-one on the planet could ever resist; including a Dragon Slayer. "R-Really?" she asked, her voice suddenly filled with new hope.

Natsu smiled, his tone confident. "Yeah. Definitely."

Lucy couldn't stifle the little sad smile that had come upon her face. Levy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, hoping that Lucy doesn't feel horrible about the scene before them. Something clicked within Lisanna's head and she couldn't help but look at Lucy with sympathetic eyes.

In all actuality, the eyes of the Guild members were torn; either looking at the pair before them or the woman who had to suffer through the pain of seeing it.

A small tear made its way down her cheek as she watched them interact, the fleeting wish for the scene in front of her to become a daily occurrence passing through her mind.


	5. This is Your Family

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

I love you all. Like seriously. No joke. I love you all _so frickin' much_.

Thank you for everything, whether it's reviews, or additions on alerts of favorite's lists. Just… _thank you_.

So… I realized that this story will somehow be split up into what I could probably call arcs. Yeah, it'll be split into a couple of arcs. This would be the _final _chapter of this first arc. There's going to be roughly three or four… probably.

Also, replying to wolf191000's review; I may have to prolong the 'Who is Ember's daddy?' question. I'm really sorry if that disappoints you, or anyone else for that matter, but at this point, I'm not sure how long I'll let it linger for. I have some idea of when _that _issue will be resolved, but at the moment, I'm not really dropping it. Though, the oblivious-left-standing may have some inkling about it. Other than that, sorry…

This is mostly a fun-filled chapter. No more drama or sadness crap, except for maybe a little bit something near the end, but other than that. Oh! And lots more Natsu and Ember scenes. It's so fun to write them!

Now, I present to you Chapter 4 of To What We Once Were

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4 – This is Your Family<strong>

The Guild remained silent for a few moments watching their favorite Dragon Slayer comfort their new Guild jewel. They couldn't help but find it a touching scene. It was broken when Natsu made eye contact with the young woman that was slowly approaching them.

He nudged Ember, who turned around slowly, letting her grip on him loosen. She took a deep breath before pulling away fully from Natsu, who smiled at her encouragingly. Lucy crouched down and opened her arms, inviting her young daughter to be embraced. Ember managed to get there, but felt a little awkwardness as her mother wrapped her delicate arms around her. Lucy buried her face in her daughter's hair, squeezing her hold tighter.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice laced in regret. "I'm so sorry I kept this from you. I'm sorry I never told you. But please, for the time being, could you not ask any more questions about your father."

Ember pulled away from her mother. "Why not?"

Lucy gave a weak smile and spun Ember around to face most of Fairy Tail, who were staring at them in curiosity. "A good friend of mine told me that every little girl deserves a father, and I agree with her. I also know you're curious, but it's not yet time to share that secret with you. Though, I think that this family in front of you is more than enough for now, right?"

At Lucy's words, their eyes widened before they all gave full-toothed grins at the young girl who was staring at them in amazement. Fairy Tail, her mother's old nakama, one of the best Guilds in all of Fiore; she could consider them all family?

Natsu and Happy moved forward to stand in front of Ember. Ember looked up, her eyes wide as she wondered what the idiot would do to her. He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, which made her shudder in fear. He put on hand in front of him, before placing it on her head to ruffle her hair again.

"Didn't you figure that out already Ember?" he asked her, as if it were an obvious question to answer. "In Fairy Tail, we consider everyone who fights alongside us our nakama! If you're mom was one of ours, then it's obvious that you're part of Fairy Tail as well!"

Happy grinned at her. "Welcome to the family Ember!"

Ember's eyes widened even further, any trace of the earlier confrontation vanished. She then gave another full-toothed grin, one which seemed reflected from the man in front of her. Those who hadn't solved it yet felt as if they were slapped once they saw the pair. The only ones who seemed too dense to still realize were Natsu, Happy and Ember.

Erza decided that it was time for someone to speak.

"This is all very touching," she began, while everyone froze in fear at the sound of her voice. "But I believe that it's time to begin setting up for the party that we should have to celebrate Lucy's return. Half of you: go out with Mirajane and shop for some extra food and drink. Make sure that some portions are spicy, since those will be especially for Ember. The other half of you will fix up the mess the boys made. I demand that this be finished within the hour!"

Everyone nodded stiffly.

She added a wry smile. "Also, to most of you who have figured it out already. Please keep it a secret from them for now, for her sake."

They all nodded again, but this time, with a sympathetic look in their eyes. Their gazes were directed over at the woman in question, who had unshed tears shining within her eyes, thankful for how far her nakama will go to protect her secret.

Erza gave them all a glare that could rival death, which made everyone hop onto their feet and run for their lives. Pleased at her work, she turned to Lucy and gave another smile. "Don't worry about helping out Lucy. This party is for both you and Ember. Feel free to relax while everyone sets things up."

Lucy smiled graciously. "What are you gonna do Erza? Supervise everyone to make sure that they do their work?"

Erza nodded, answering her question with a satisfied smirk. Lucy stifled a giggle and Ember peered up at Erza from below, tugging on the lower part of her armor. Erza glanced at the young girl. "What do you need Ember?"

"I have a question!" she said happily, her expression going from pleading to excited. "Can I pretty, pretty, pretty please – with whipped cream and cherries and spices on top – see you all do your magic? I wanna see why Mommy says Fairy Tail is the best Guild in all of Fiore!"

Erza smiled and patted her head. "I'll see what I can do for you Ember, but you can definitely expect a good show tonight."

The wide, ecstatic smile that Ember gave her made her feel more satisfied than any reprimanding she would give to her fellow nakama.

**..O..**

The sight and smell of the food laying in wait for her mouth was too tempting for her. She could barely contain her rumbling stomach as she stared at the gleaming platters greedily. Lucy was keeping a watchful eye on her, making sure that nothing was devoured yet. If she so much laid a single touch on one of the temptations in front of her, she wouldn't have any spicy food for nearly a month.

Natsu was under the exact same rules, sitting beside Ember as they both stared at their personal treasure trove. Erza herself kept an eye on Natsu, making sure that he wouldn't even _dare_ smell the spice-filled aroma. Both spice-food lovers were whimpering, as if they were in physical pain from the sight.

The Guild members could barely contain the secret then. It was just _so obvious_! By the way they were both acting, who couldn't see how clear it was? Their sisterly feelings for Lucy and their fear of Erza kept them in bay, as they saw both women staring at the pair.

Mirajane set the last plate down, right in the middle of all the platters. She smiled at the pairing and curtseyed before heading back to the kitchens. Erza and Lucy exchanged a glance before nodding.

"Okay then. Feel free to –" Lucy never managed to finish the sentence, since she was pushed from her seat by her young daughter, who had _pounced _onto the table and the food. Both Natsu and Ember ate the overly-hot foods as if they were breathing air. Both managed to keep an insanely large grin on their faces, which looked so identical that the temptation to scream out the obvious was getting harder to resist.

Erza could sense the risk and glared at the people threateningly, her eyes clearly conveying the message: 'If you _dare _speak out, I will _personally end you_.'

In five minutes flat, the food set out on the wooden table had completely vanished, leaving behind plates which were licked clean of the sauce. Ember glared angrily at the older man who was patting his stomach in satisfaction.

"You ate more of the food stupid!" she huffed out, pouting. "That's unfair! I should go tell Mommy and Auntie Erza and they'll go kick your butt!"

Natsu gulped. "That's why you should learn how to eat faster! But you'll probably never beat me! Nobody can ever beat me in anything!" A cough resounded through the room, and everyone exchanged eye rolls. "Especially in eating. But more so in magic."

Ember crossed her arms. "Oh really? How about you show me that you can do better than _all_ of them?" she gestured to the people that surrounded them. "If you can beat them, I'll give you half of my spicy food for the week!"

Natsu furrowed his brows, seemingly in deep concentration. He then lifted his hand in front of him. "Two weeks and you've got yourself a deal."

They shook on it.

Lucy couldn't help the amused smile that crept onto her face.

**..O..**

Her eyes were wide as the lights in the Guild dimmed. She sat at the bar, her legs swinging back and forth from the ledge. Her mother was sitting on what the members had dubbed 'Lucy's Seat'. The tables had all been pushed towards the walls, leaving enough room for the upcoming show.

A singled spotlight shined in the middle of the ring of tables, and Ember was surprised to see that Erza was standing under there, wearing an extremely stylish gown. She smiled and winked coyly at the pairing, which confused Ember a bit, before she began to requip. A bright, unearthly glow shrouded her body which mystified the young girl. After a few moments of the ethereal light, Erza appeared once again, donned in her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Ember's eyes widened as she felt sheer power radiate off the S-Class Mage. She then began cheering and clapping as Erza began showing off her sword skills in mid-air. Once she was done, Erza landed gracefully upon the ground and bowed down before requipping once more to her normal armor.

After that, the show of power kept on coming. After Erza came Levy, demonstrating her knack for Solid-Script with many fun, party-like words. Ember found her show one of the most entertaining. Wendy came after, demonstrating her wind power by making a whirlwind surround her. Charle assisted her by throwing in cherry blossom petals, making the whole spectacle look beautiful. Juvia was next, a beautiful water display shown, where most of the audience had gotten water sprayed on them at one point. Ember just giggled when her mother got covered head-to-toe in water.

Act upon act came one after the other, each one blowing her mind even more than the one before. A while had passed, and it was finally time for the last show to happen. Gray and Natsu stepped up, both seemingly pleased with the arrangements made.

"I'm not losing to you Fire Breath. Lucy's kid thinks that we're better than you now. Can't let her down now, can I?" Gray stated in a cocky tone, cracking his knuckles as he did so.

"I am _so_ going to win this. If there's food at stake, nothing gonna stop me." Natsu replied back, his hands beginning to heat up.

Gray glared. "Ice-Make: Geyser!"

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

The large blast that was created nearly made her fly off from her seat. Luckily, her mother had grabbed her just before she could be, placing Ember on her lap and locking her arms around the girl's small body. She wasn't gonna let her daughter miss the fight that she had been waiting for especially.

Smoke had filled the room, but Wendy did them all a favor by blowing it away with one breath. Once the room was once again cleared, they watched as the battle raged on. It seemed that the fight was fiercer than usual, since both men had something (ridiculous) on the line.

Ember's eyes widened with each move that was made. Although she didn't really like ice, she believed that Gray was incredibly strong. Though, she began to get worried once she saw Natsu's attacks. They were fire-based (which she loved) and quite strong. She then began to doubt winning the bet she had made.

The fight lasted for a while, both of the mages enduring the attacks the other had made. Near the end, Gray was huffing while Natsu was panting. They were both trying not to cause too much destruction, since Erza was giving them a very frightening death glare. Lucy looked at the two before nudging her daughter.

"I think you should go make your choice now," Lucy whispered in her daughter's ear. "They both seem incredibly tired now. I think they'll be happy to know who won the battle."

Ember nodded in understanding and hopped off her mother's lap, skipping merrily towards the two men. Once they both saw her approaching them, they gave each other a glance before toppling over, face-first, onto the cold wooden floor below them.

She peered at the two. "You both seem tired. Do you wanna know who won?"

She heard two grunts reply her question.

She examined the two of them closely, recalling what she had seen during the fight. As she saw their moves, she wanted to become like them; strong, powerful mages. She looked back at her mother, who was smiling at her, encouraging her to go on. She looked back at the two idiots, and then kicked his head.

"I've decided that you won. Sorry ice-brain, but his moves seemed better," she stated, kicking the winner on the head. "I'm sad that I lost my bet, and I'm sorry for doubting you rose-hair. You can have my share of spicy-food now."

At hearing her words, Natsu jumped up, whooped in joy and tackled Ember in a hug. Gray grumbled, but still gave Ember a small smile before walking off to find Juvia. Lucy nodded, as if agreeing with her daughter's choice. The Guild members muttered darkly for a few moments before shrugging and resuming their party-going once more.

"Let go of me you big, fat weirdo!" Ember cried, struggling against Natsu's grip. Natsu just chuckled and ruffled her hair, which made Ember pout. After a few moments, she was dropped onto the ground as Natsu did a victory pose.

"Hell yeah! More hot-food for two weeks! Who's the best Guild in Fairy Tail now huh? It's me, the Salamander, Natsu Dragneel!" he boasted out proudly, puffing out his chest a bit. During the time he was shouting, Lucy had come by to meet her daughter, but as his exaggerated words grew more annoying, she couldn't help it when she slapped him upside the back of his head, effectively shutting him up.

"Thanks Mommy~" Ember chirped, hugging her mother before running off to find Levy and chat about books and whatnot.

Lucy smiled softly as her eyes trailed after her daughter's form. Thoughts of what they had gone through in that single day passed through her mind. A gentle touch of a hand on her shoulder sucked her out of her reverie, as she turned to see Lisanna smiling at her.

"Can we talk?" she asked, glancing at the other Guild members. "_Outside_. Please?"

Lucy nodded, giving a fleeting glance at her daughter before following Lisanna's willowy form out of the building. The others gave them menial side glances, just a _tiny_ bit curious at what the two might discuss, though the answer seemed quite obvious.

Natsu watched the two women walk away, simply too curious. He was about to take a step to follow, but a hand caught his shoulder. He turned his head to see Elfman staring down at him.

"It is not manly to eavesdrop on a conversation between two women that you care for," he stated simply. Natsu stayed silent and stared at Lucy and Lisanna's leaving forms.

**..O..**

The night air was refreshingly cool as she stepped out of the Guild. Both women knew that Natsu would evidently be trying to eavesdrop on their conversation, so they walked a block or two away. As soon as they had reached a suitable destination, Lisanna turned around, a dead-serious expression masking her usual happy face. Seeing the passive expression that she had made Lucy feel nervous about their next conversation.

"Lucy," she began, her tone sounding unsure. "I'm really glad that you're back. Everyone's glad that you're back! But, there's just a single thing that I need to discuss with you about. It's really important, and I don't want to sound too clingy or selfish or anything of the sort! But, I need to know the truth.

Lucy nodded stiffly. "This is about Natsu, right."

Lisanna sighed. "I love him. I've loved him ever since we were together as kids. Back then, I would've sworn that the two of us would get married, have kids and grow up old together, but now..." her voice trailed off, and Lucy realized that she was the snag in the equation.

Lucy's eyes wandered around, taking in the familiar surroundings of Magnolia at night. "You probably already know the fact, but I'll reassure you now. Yes, Natsu _is _Ember's father. Both of them don't know that fact, and everyone in the Guild is trying to keep it that way. You want to ask me if I still love him, don't you"

Lisanna stared at her for a moment before nodding. Lucy smiled dismally.

"I used to love him," she muttered wistfully, staring back at the doors of the Guild. "But I guess, after the past couple of years, it just... _faded_. Now, I just love him like I'd love a friend, or even a brother. We all know that he's crazy about you."

She said the last statement with a smile, and Lisanna stared at her, as if trying to detect whether she was lying or not.

She sighed once more. "How can I be so sure you're not lying Lucy? I mean, you guys had _Ember _together. Everyone thought that you two would get together; not me. Are you even going to _tell_ him that she's his child?"

Lucy's gaze moved back to Lisanna, and she hoped that her eyes would convey her honesty. "I guess you have the right to by cynical about all this, but I swear to you Lisanna, that I'm not lying. We may have had something before, but that's all gone. And about Ember... Well, I'll tell him when I think the time is right. When we've settled down all this mayhem and returned to life as usual."

Lisanna looked imploringly at her once more, before stepping forward to initiate a hug. Lucy was pleasantly surprised, but then returned the action, hoping that they have both reconciled. Lucy wasn't lying about her statements, but something inside her felt hollow when the realization of her words had set in.

**..O..**

Ember watched the man pace back and forth, her legs swinging from the tall stool she was sitting on. He had a look of deep thought on, which Ember thought was reminiscent of a monkey's, or possibly a baboon's. As he paced and thought, Ember had taken the food that was meant to be his. The chili fries with extra hot sauce was already halfway done, and he hadn't noticed it yet.

"So," she began, taking a pause as she chewed her food. "Why are you walking back and forth? You look like a weirdo."

Natsu ignored her name calling and question, continuing his actions. He was concerned and extremely curious about what Lucy and Lisanna could be talking about, to the point that he couldn't even sit still. He _needed_ to know what they were talking about, as if his life depended on it. Unfortunately for him, he was being kept under the eye of Erza and Elfman, who were watching him from opposite sides of the room.

Natsu stopped and perked up as the scents of both women came closer to the doors. Ember then thought that he may have looked like an ape, but he acted more like a dog.

The pair entered through the doors, both of them joking around and laughing about something silly. Everyone visibly relaxed, knowing that some kind of confrontation that had happened ended up well. Ember just stared curiously between the pair and Natsu, chewing on her fries all the while.

"Lisanna! Lucy!" Natsu cried, his arm shooting up so that they could see him better. "Can you tell me what you guys were talking about? I wanna _know_!"

The women exchanged a glance, before shaking their heads in sync. Natsu visibly deflated and turned to the platter of fries that he had left on the countertop. Once seeing it gone, he turned to look at Ember, who gave him a mischievous grin before quickly jumping off the stool and scampering off into the crowd of members.

Natsu roared in fury, figurative flames burning in the background behind him. He then gave chase, trailing after the young girl who weaved between the legs of the Guild members, giggling all the way. Natsu screamed profanities along the way, which made Erza curse and chase after him.

Soon enough, the Guild was bustling in joy as they all watched the little game of Cat and Mouse, wondering who would win. After a few minutes of it, Erza caught Natsu by the ear. The fire mage struggled against the hold, squirming and swearing as he did so.

Ember cheered and giggled in triumph at seeing his capture. He blew him a raspberry before running over to hug her mother's legs.

Lucy laughed, savoring the light feeling that bubbled in her. She had a feeling that it wouldn't be back for a long time. "Are you having fun here?"

Ember could only giggle and nod.


	6. Discovering

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Warning: This is practically an entire Ember-concentrated chapter. I don't know whether you'd all like it, since it's a filler-ish type chapter, but I think it's good to have something fluffy once in a while. Don't you agree? But... well, the ending is practically the beginning of my second 'arc'.

I know that you're all frustrated about the Natsu and Lucy aspect of this story, but don't worry. It's just a gradual thing. Even I'm a bit frustrated with having the main pair oblivious, _especially _when one of them blatantly denies their attraction directly to the other's _partner_. So I'm eventually going to fix that. Expect some more NaLu soon!

...The ending of this one may make you hate me. I apologize in advance.

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><p><strong>Chapter 5 – Discovering<strong>

A few days had passed since Lucy and Ember had first walked through the doors of Fairy Tail, and life had begun to return to the simplicity it had before Lucy's departure. It was _absolutely _normal, with the Guild members returning into its former routine. Well... with just a _slight _exception.

Lucy could feel a large migraine coming to her as she fought the urge to shout out in frustration. The Guild members looked at her, worried at how she may react. Only Levy and Mirajane had found the scene to be hilarious, but kept quiet so as to not anger her further.

Ember held a strong grip on Lucy's right calf, wailing and screaming for her mother to 'not leave her alone with all the lunatics'. The 'lunatics' didn't take the insult to heart, and just kept watching the scene as if it were a comedy act.

"Mama!" Ember wailed once more, throwing her head back. "Don't leave! You can't leave me here! You could get hurt! Don't take the solo mission! Please!"

"Ember," she stated, her voice on the edge of exasperation. "I need to pay the rent for our rooms soon. We really need the money now. I promise to find an easy solo mission. Would it be alright then Ember?"

Ember pouted and shook her head, rejecting the idea.

"I don't want you to be alone!" she cried out, as if it was obvious. "You might get really injured, and then, no-one would come rescue you! Don't say that Loke can save you, because he makes a horrible Prince Charming!

A trail of light appeared from Lucy's keys, and soon enough, the notorious playboy of Fairy Tail appeared, his arms folded across his chest as he scowled at the little girl.

"How can you say that I'm a horrible Prince Charming? Out of all the idiots here, I'm the most suited to be _Lucy's _Prince Charming!" he retorted, sound quite immature in doing so. Lucy sighed and scanned the board again, hoping that something easy might catch her eye.

"Oh yeah?" Ember cried, all fired up to start a debate. "Then why would Prince Charming talk and charm other ladies when he's supposed to be madly in love with his Princess! Why would Prince Charming be so annoyingly _stupid_ that he'd start to argue with the Princess' daughter, who would _obviously _win?"

Loke was effectively shut up, trying to think of some smart retort to say. As he did that, Ember let go of her mother and began to do a victory dance. The other Guild members watched her, amused and impressed that she managed to make Loke quiet. Lucy, finally free from her daughter, snatched the mission she was eyeing and bolted over to Mira.

"Mira!" she cried out, hoping that her daughter wouldn't notice her escape. "I'll do this mission please! _Alone_."

Ember stopped midway through her dance when she heard her mother say the word 'alone'. She then turned to see Lucy looking at Mirajane desperately, praying that Mira's quick enough to file it down. Ember furrowed her eyebrows and huffed, before beginning to march in the direction of the young woman.

Mirajane noticed the little angered girl and cleared her throat to gain Lucy's attention. Lucy perked up, and at seeing Mirajane's hand pointing behind her, she spun on her stool. Her eyes widened when she saw her fiery little daughter storming up to her.

"Mommy!" Ember huffed out, finally reaching her mother. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot, as if demanding an explanation. "Didn't I tell you? I don't want you to go by yourself! You might get hurt, and then no-one would be able to help you! Loke might have a date on that day as well, so he can't act as your fail 'Prince Charming'."

"Ember!" Lucy shouted sharply. Ember's eyes widened as her quickly shut. The Guild members exchanged glances once they realized that Lucy had finally snapped. "Stop being immature! You know that I need to do this, so act properly and don't whine, okay?"

Ember nodded curtly.

Lucy then smiled, her personality turning from vicious to cheerful. "Okay then! I want you to behave while I'm gone, okay? Now I need to go shop for supplies. You stay here and be good, alright?"

Ember nodded once more. Her mother patted her on the head and grabbed the mission paper, heading for the door. She gave a final wave of goodbye before walking out of the building. Once she was gone, they all turned to look at Ember, who was still petrified from her mother's mood swings.

Mirajane, decided to break the tension. "Ember, sweetie, would you like something to eat?"

Ember snapped out of her mood and turned to Mira with a wide grin on her face. "Can I have something really spicy to eat Auntie Mira? Can I? Can I?"

Mirajane nodded and Ember followed her into the kitchens. Once they were gone, everyone shared a single thought; _Ember was more like Natsu than they first thought_.

**..O..**

Lucy sighed, disappointed in the way she had taken the situation earlier. She wasn't meant to snap, but Ember had become too clingy. Her daughter's actions reminded her so much of the past, when Natsu would reject any idea of her taking on a solo job.

_Natsu_. What was she meant to tell him? Sooner or later, she would have to tell him the entire story of how Ember was conceived, but, something inside her whispered that things would turn out for the worse if she did. Was it her fear? Was her fear even telling the _truth_?

In her reverie, she bumped shoulders with a hooded figure. Blinking momentarily as she was dragged out of her thoughts, she bowed and profusely apologized before scurrying off in the direction she was heading in earlier.

The person watched her curiously, amused eyes trailing after her curvaceous form. Once she was gone, the curious person turned back around and strode off, but, a suspicious-looking smirk was etched across their face.

**..O..**

Her mother was smiling brightly in the photo. The group that had come later than everyone else stood beside her, while the rest of the Guild surrounded them. A banner with the words _'Happy 18__th__ Birthday Lucy_' was hung up above their heads.

She noted that the pink-haired idiot's arm was draped across her mother's shoulders, and they seemed closer to each other than the rest of their nakama. She frowned, wondering why they seemed so friendly back then.

Levy then came from behind one of the old wooden bookshelves, a pile of thick, leather-bound books stacked in her arms. After placing them down on the table, she walked across and peered above Ember's shoulder to see what she was staring at so intently.

Her eyes widened when she realised that it was one of the photo albums that she had been looking at ever since Lucy had come back. She remembered the time when that specific picture was taken. It was such a happy time but, only weeks after that day did Lucy disappear.

Ember looked up to Levy. "Auntie Levy, why are Mommy and that crazy team so close together? I know she was part of Fairy Tail, but is there something else that she didn't tell me?"

A small smile came to Levy's lips as she took a seat beside the young girl whose eyes were filled with curiosity. "Lucy, your mother, used to be part of Fairy Tail's strongest and craziest team. Do you know what they're called?"

Ember pouted and shook her head, which made Levy's lips quirk up even further.

"Your Mommy was part of 'Team Natsu'," she stated, memories of fond days rushing through her mind. The confused face that Ember made amused her. "When they formed together, the whole Guild thought that they'd kill each other before completing a mission, but, they proved us wrong; each and every single time."

Ember nodded, her eyes wide in admiration. "So they were strong? And brave? And they always won?"

Levy nodded at every question, and Ember's gaze drifted back to the photo. "Your Mommy was proud to be part of that team, and they were all devastated when she left. I think each of them felt responsible when she did."

Ember stayed silent for a moment before speaking up once again. "Auntie, why are Mama and the idiot so close to each other?"

Levy looked at the photo, her smile turning sad as she saw the pair. "Well, they were both partners back then. Lucy and Natsu; they had a strong bond that no-one could come through. Did you know that it was actually Natsu that brought your Mommy here?"

Ember shook her head again, her eyes wide in surprise.

"They met in Hargeon, the town you used to live in. A few... _mishaps _occurred, and in the end, Natsu offered Lucy to come with him to Fairy Tail. After that, they became the closest of friends. That's why they're close in the picture."

Ember looked at the photo once more before giving a final judgement. "They almost look like a couple together, don't you think?"

Levy nearly fell off her chair at the comment.

**..O..**

Ember looked at the older people, wondering if they knew how utterly dense they all were.

She loved fairytales, especially ones with a beautiful, romantic ending. She strived for everyone to have their own wonderfully romantic ending like they do in dream-like fairytales, but it seemed that the people in a Guild with a relatively similar name were all too blind to see that their own prince or princess was right beside them.

Before leaving, she asked Levy if there was anyone that acted like a Fairy Godmother for romance.

She received a single name answer.

_Mirajane_.

So she reached the counter and hopped onto her mother's barstool. She sat there, waiting for the woman to come out. A few minutes after sitting, Mira came out of the kitchen door, wiping her hands dry on a towel. At seeing Ember sitting patiently, she tossed away the towel and leaned forward on the counter.

She smiled brightly. "Hi Ember! Do you want more food? If you do, I can whip something up for you."

Ember shook her head, the action surprising Mira. "No thanks Auntie! Instead, I need to discuss something _really _important with you. Is that okay?"

Mira's eyebrow quirked in curiosity as she nodded. Ember flashed a wide-toothed grin.

"Okay. Auntie Levy told me that you were the one that paired up _everyone _in the Guild, but no-one listens to you. I wanna help you! I think that _all _of them are stupid because they don't realize that the love of their life is right in front of them! I know that you can do something about it, and I wanna do something as well! Let's work together Auntie! Then everyone can have their own fairytale ending!" she explained, her expression growing more excited with each word spoken.

Mira's eyes widened as the meaning of Ember's words hit her. She wasn't the only one who knew that most of their nakama belonged to each other. She was going to get help. They were going to turn Fairy Tail into a romantic paradise!

Her expression grew brighter as she walked to the opposite side of the counter, pausing a moment before sweeping Ember into her arms and forcing the little girl into a death-grip hug. Ember giggled and squealed, excited for the new partnership. The Guild members gave the pair suspicious glances, but spoke nothing of it.

Once Ember was let down, Mirajane spoke in a hyperactive tone. "Finally! Someone realised how _dense _they could all be! So you're going to help me now, am I right?" Ember nodded and Mira squealed. "Okay! Now, I'm guessing you would like to know who would make a perfect match in the Guild, right?"

Ember nodded enthusiastically, turning to face the oblivious members.

Mira pointed the first pairing out. "Well, there are a few milling around here now. Like them! _Everyone_ knows that Juvia and Gray would get together, but Gray is just too stupid to realize his own feelings for her. Don't worry about your Auntie Juvia though; she fell for him at first sight."

Ember furrowed her eyebrows and stared openly at the pair. After a few moments she grinned and nodded, as if already finished making a judgement on them. "They'll definitely be together!"

Mira smiled and scanned the room again, leaping up when she found a few more future couples to point out. "Now over there are Romeo and Wendy! They're quite cute together, and oblivious to each other's feelings. And over there are Evergreen and Elfman! Although she may be a bit... difficult at times, they can make a good pair. Oh! Then there's also Erza and Jellal! He comes by the Guild every so often. I actually think that he's overdue for a visit any day now! And of course you know about Levy and Gajeel! Honestly! These people are quite stupid, aren't they?"

Ember glanced up at Mira, who was shaking her head at the others disapprovingly. She stifled a giggle and turned back to staring at all of them. Once finished with her final judgement for each pairing, she turned to Mira once more.

She grinned evilly; one that could match up with Natsu's any day. "So Auntie, what are we going to do about it now?"

Mira smirked and began whispering her plan into Ember's ear. The innocent members looked at them, uncomfortable by the extremely demonic aura that both of them combined were giving. As it all fell into place within her head, Ember's smile grew wider and bigger, and once Mira had finished, she was applauding as if she were at a show.

"Awesome Auntie! That's a great idea! But – don't you think that there are a few more couples missing? What about the pink-haired idiot?" she asked, her eyes staring at the door where Natsu would burst in any minute.

Mira thought of how to phrase it to the young girl. It was clearly simple who he was with at that moment, yet she didn't want them to be together. It may have just been a selfish request, but she truly did want Natsu and Lucy to be together once more. "Well Ember, Natsu is together with Lisanna."

"That's your sister, right?" she questioned, though it was more rhetorical than not. Mira nodded and glanced up at the door. "Not to be rude Auntie, but I don't think that they look good together. They're more like friends, don't you think?"

Mira looked at her oddly. Ember thought that she needed to elaborate further.

"Well, they look friendlier with each other. More like best friends really. If they are a couple, there has to be... _something _between them. Not just friendliness, but something more." Ember explained, making exaggerated hand movements to help. Mira just shook her head and smiled.

"You're quite smart for your age, don't you think?" she asked affectionately. Ember smiled. _Lucy's smile_.

"There's one more person that needs a prince you know!" she cried out, pointing a finger at the door. Mira looked up, and soon enough, Lucy entered, carrying multiple bags in her hands. "Mama needs a Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet! It's alright if it's not my unknown daddy though! I just want Mommy to have a Prince!"

"How did you –" she began, but then shook her head, knowing that the little girl had the blood of a Dragon Slayer.

"Can someone help me, please?" Lucy whined, her figure slumping from the weight of her bags. "I haven't gone shopping for a while, so I might've gone a _bit _overboard."

Ember skipped over to her mother and pet the woman's head. "Silly Mommy! You didn't have to shop for that much things!" Lucy gave her a look and Ember smiled sheepishly. "Okay; maybe I like to eat a lot, but! I could've come with you! Gosh! Mama is _really _silly!"

Lucy sighed as Ember grabbed one of her bags. Mira laughed lightly. Ember turned around and grinned like a Cheshire cat at Mira.

"Don't be so happy Auntie. I believe that you're also on the same level as these dense idiots. Why don't you wake up and find what's been in front of you all along?" Ember asked in a teasing tone. Mira gaped and flushed, wondering what in Earthland the young girl was talking about.

**..O..**

Lucy moaned lightly, tossing her head back for the tenth time. She was pumped for her solo mission, but still concerned for her daughter. If anyone had told her that motherhood would be that hard, she would've laughed it off, saying it was a simple task.

Boy; was she _definitely_ wrong.

A figure came into her vision. The man was upside down in her view, but that didn't deter the lopsided, goofy grin that was plastered onto his face.

"Hey Lucy," Natsu greeted, taking the empty chair beside her. "What's up?"

"Other than the ceiling, nothing much," she retorted passively. The small smile that wandered on her face rejected all traces of her being nonchalant though. Bantering like that reminded Lucy of the old days. '_When things were more simple_.'

"Ha ha. You are so funny." Natsu deadpanned, before his tone became light-hearted. "C'mon Lucy! Be fun! You're so boring! Like an old lady! Does that mean I can call you obaa-chan now?"

She scowled and stomped her pointed heel on his foot. He howled out, almost like a wolf, grabbing his foot to begin easing the pain. She giggled, and placed her elbows on the table, connecting her hands to make a nice little nook for her chin to rest in.

They stayed in a comfortable silence, both of them drifting in and out of their thoughts and memories. They were whisked out of that when a large bang resounded from the door. Heads turned to see a hooded man walk in. They grew suspicious, some beginning to stand from their chairs. Lucy and Natsu were one of them, Natsu standing in front of his old partner to protect her if anything happened.

"What are you doing in this Guild?" he asked, his tone showing no mercy. Lucy looked at him, concerned if anything went too violent. But, it seemed that the man wasn't intent on answering his question, shoving past to grab Lucy by that arm. Natsu growled. "Hey! Get away from her you scumbag!"

"What the – Oh!" Lucy cried, recognising him as the man she had bumped into earlier. "If this is about what happened today, I already apologized. I hoped that you did accept my apology then but..."

She trailed off, looking at his face so she could make some type of eye contact. The man lifted his hood up and smirked at her, his eyes twinkling.

Ember gasped. She had watched the entire scene from her seat, and was almost ready to throttle the grown man, before he had revealed his face. Her breath was taken away by the sight of him. Spiked-brown hair, piercing-blue eyes and a charming smile; it was what every little girl wanted as a Prince Charming. Not to mention, he could've looked _quite_ good with her mother.

"Hi there. Lucy Heartfilia, correct?" he asked, his voice a smooth baritone. Lucy nodded wordlessly, petrified. "You're quite the beautiful woman. Could I possibly make you my partner, in more ways than just teammates?"


	7. A Newcomer

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Have I told you guys how much I love you? No? Yes? Well, if I have or haven't, let me say it now. I really, _really _love each and every single one of you. If I ever met you in person, you'd be glomped mercilessly within five seconds~!

Anyways, thank you for the reviews, adds to the favorites or alerts lists or just simply clicking and reading this fiction! This story is dedicated to all of you!

So, how did everyone like the ending? Don't worry; we will get into more detail about this new person in this chapter! Also, this new character is indeed an OC of mine. I hope you guys like him (or not. I just hope that you accept him in the story!)

Not to be a mood killer before the chapter even starts, but chapter seven may be updated in two weeks time instead of the usual one week update. I apologize in advance!

Now, I present to you Chapter 6 of To What We Once Were!

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><p><strong>Chapter 6 – A Newcomer <strong>

Most of the people that witnessed the scene were gaping in disbelief. At his words, all of Ember's fairytale romance dreams for the mystery man and her mother were shattered and replaced with a burning dislike. Natsu was clenching his fist, ready to punch the living daylights out of him before burning the man to a crisp. Why he was so angry, he didn't understand why. Lucy stood with the man's grip on her bicep, his hand rough against her skin. For a moment, she was petrified, but something inside slapped her back into her senses.

Her eyes narrowed as she revved up her free arm before giving the man a wonderfully produced slap. The sound echoed through the room, as her nakama gaped further. She scowled, hoping that her hit would leave a mark.

The man in front of her just smirked, taking away his hold on her to touch the red mark that was beginning to form. "Quite a feisty one aren't you? Don't worry though; I'm not a spineless wimp that would just leave without giving a fight. So I will ask again. Will you be my partner?"

Lucy gritted her teeth. "Since you didn't seem to get the _message _I gave you earlier, it's a no. For whatever _partnership _you want to set up with me."

He shook his head in mock disappointment. "Shame. I would've thought that we could make the best pair," he muttered, his tone a tinge saddened. He then turned to Ember. "I could've been your future father you know? Wouldn't that have been nice?"

Ember gaped and took a step back. "What are you talking about weirdo? I don't want _you _to be my Daddy! I already know that my Daddy is someone part of Fairy Tail, not an idiot like you!"

Lucy took a step in front of her daughter and pushed the man back. She felt proud at her daughter's exclamation, but uncomfortable at his leering actions. "Don't you dare come any closer to my daughter. You are a stranger to this Guild. If you do not have any business here, then could you please _get out_ before I ask Natsu to burn you?"

The man glanced sideways to see Natsu cracking his knuckles, and deep scowl etched across his face. He then turned back to Lucy, who was glaring at him fiercely. He gave her an enigmatic smile. "I believe you are wrong there Lucy. I indeed _do _have business with this... _lovely _Guild of yours. Could someone lead me to where Makarov is, please?"

"No-one needs to move anywhere," an authoritative voice stated from above them. The people turned to look at Makarov himself, standing with his arms folded, his face passive as he scrutinized the newcomer heavily. "Could I ask who you are and what business you have with us? Also, please refrain from interacting like _that _with my children _and _grandchild."

Lucy felt touched that she was still considered a child in Fairy Tail. She looked down at her daughter, happy that Ember was known as Master's grandchild. The man chuckled, which made her gaze divert to him. He was smirking at the old man, as if defiant about the words that were spoken to him.

"Master Makarov," he stated, going down on one knee to bow in respect for the strong mage. "I've come from the eastern-most reaches of Fiore to join this Guild. I ask to become a member of Fairy Tail! It is my own wish, but was supported by my mother, Celine! She says that if she ever bore a child, she would have wanted him or her to go join Fairy Tail, her old Guild."

At the mentioning of 'Celine', something flashed through Makarov's eyes, and he promptly jumped off of his ledge, landing soundly on the ground below him. He then walked up to the man, examining him with each step.

"Celine. You are Celine's son?" he asked, though by his tone, people could figure out that it was rhetorical. "If you _are_ Celine's son, then you are most certainly welcome here."

The man's head tilted up, smiling brightly at the words. Natsu growled and stepped forward.

"Ojii-san! Look what he did to Lucy and Ember! Are you sure we should let a man like that enter our Guild?" he appealed, his voice filled with a bitter hate. He glanced at Lucy, who was watching him with appreciation. Makarov sighed, but then nodded.

"We need to let everyone get their chance within the Guild Natsu," he spoke clearly. "To prove my point, this man _shall _join the Guild, and he will be partnered up with _Lucy_. That word is final. Mira, could you get the stamp?"

Natsu muttered something incoherent and growled once more, before moving to stand beside Lucy. Lucy gave a sidewards glance and placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping the action would calm him. Fortunately for her, it did.

Mira nodded silently and moved around behind her bar, before bringing the item requested from one of the compartments below the bar. She walked over to the mystery man, who stood up as he began shrugging his cloak and shirt off.

"Where would you like the mark?" Mira asked politely, even though she was a tad bit uncomfortable.

He smiled soothingly at Mira, who flushed lightly at the gesture, before pointing at his back. "Can I have it on my right shoulder-blade?"

Mira nodded once more and obliged. After a few moments, a blue Fairy Tail mark was imprinted on his shoulder-blade. Once they were done, he put his shirt back on, but left the cloak. Lucy couldn't help but notice how... _muscled _the man was. The thought of it made her blush slightly, knowing that the man had pissed her off earlier.

Finished with his shirt, he walked over to Lucy and brought out his right hand. "We started off on the wrong foot, and I apologize for that. Can we start over?" he asked, his tone somewhat considerate. Lucy looked suspiciously at his hand before nodding slowly. She felt Natsu tense up beside her as she moved her own hand to shake his. "Hello Lucy. My name is Nazo. Pleasure to meet you, _partner_."

Before she knew it, he moved her hand up to kiss it. The grip on her leg that Ember gave tightened as she glared at the man fiercely. Natsu mirrored the expression. Lucy flushed and quickly took her hand back.

"Well," Lucy said, trying to break the tension and ease the two fiery people beside her. "Since you will be my new partner, I should mention that we have a job tomorrow. Would you like to get acquainted beforehand, Nazo?"

He nodded and held his arm out. She looked at it hesitantly for a moment, before looping her arm through it. She gave a pointed glare at Ember, who shied away towards Natsu. Natsu continued glaring at the pair, still suspicious of his intentions.

She smiled, though it was small and a tad fearful. "I'm going out now. I'll see you all later! Ember, don't cause a mess, alright?"

With that, the pair headed out the doors. Natsu and Ember continued to glare at them from behind, extremely suspicious of the new man who might do something to hurt Lucy.

**..O..**

Lucy sighed, looking out of the window beside her. People were strolling along the cobblestone-paths of the town, enjoying their beautiful day to its finest. It could be said that she too seemed to be enjoying her day, but that would've been a blatant lie.

She was nervous, anxious and uncomfortable. The man that sat in front of her, looking through the menu had got in the Guild so quickly. She had no right to complain, since she was also let into the Guild easily, but there was something about Nazo that made her feel uneasy.

Said man looked up at her, his eyebrow raised. "Have you decided what to order yet Lucy?" he asked, his tone smooth and well... relatively _normal_. He didn't seem to have any qualms over anything. No agitation; nothing.

Lucy looked up and gave him a faint glimmer of a smile. "Yes, I've decided. Do you want to call the waiter?"

Once the matter of food was settled and drinks were given, Nazo leaned in, one arm resting on the table as he smiled at her. The smile seemed sly, but she wasn't entirely sure. "So Lucy, how about a small chat before our food. We would have to be somewhat acquainted with each other before going on that mission, correct?"

She nodded and took a small sip from her glass. "Yes, I agree. So, would you like to start off?"

His smile grew wider. "Certainly. As you already know, my name is Nazo. I prefer _not _to reveal my last name. I'm twenty-five years young and have been living in East Fiore until now. My magic specialty is telekinesis." At the blank stare she gave him, he chuckled. "Considering your expression, I guess I should explain to you my power. Simply speaking, my magic spans from my mind, so I can do things like this."

He stared at the water-filled glass in front of him intently. Lucy mirrored his actions. After a few moments, the glass slowly began to lift off from the table, until it was hovering two or three inches above. Lucy couldn't form words once he put the glass back down, not even lifting a pinky to do so.

A beat of silence. "...Wow," she stated simply, her gaze returning to Nazo. He chuckled once more at her astounded expression.

"No need to be that amazed. How about we discuss things about you?" he asked, tilting his head a bit. "Since, you _have _been missing for nearly six years, there may be quite a bit I want to ask you about. And you don't be so surprised about me knowing that information. Many people knew the rumors that had spread regarding you."

She reddened a bit and resisted the temptation to pout immaturely. "Well, as you _already _know, I'm Lucy. Twenty-four years old. Uhh... I've been living and Hargeon for a couple of years, while raising my daughter, whom you've already met. I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage, which you probably already knew as well..."

Lucy's voice drifted off as she realized what their situation looked like. She was on a date.

_She _was on a _date?_

Nazo chuckled spontaneously and she looked back to glare at him in annoyance. He put up his hands, hoping she understood the 'I'm innocent' meaning of it. She sighed at his playfulness and got back to her drink. After a few moments of silence, he asked her a simple question.

"So, Lucy... If I may ask, who is your daughter's father? She claimed that he was in the Guild, so I would like to meet him and say that I have no intentions with you. Just to be on the safe side, don't you think?"

She nearly choked on her drink. "Nazo, I – I would like to keep that private from you right now, if that is alright. Maybe once we get to know each other more, I will tell you. But right now... no."

He nodded and they entered another silence. Lucy's heart pounded as her thoughts raced. Should she have told him? They _were _partners, even though that was only decided on that day. No, she made the right decision.

'_I don't want him asking that question to Natsu anyways_,' she thought, her inner tone stubborn.

She never noticed the cryptic smile that came onto his face.

**..O..**

They walked in a comfortable silence back to the Guild afterwards. During their meal, they had light small talk about the mission the day next and what their strategies could have been. The mission wasn't all that hard, but Lucy still wanted to be prepared.

Something seemed off when she got back to the Guild.

She noticed that the greetings that were given to her were minimal and subdued. It seems that everyone was suspicious of something, or _someone_. She already knew that it was of the man behind her, but she didn't make any comment.

The next thing she noticed was the lack of a blue Exceed, a pink-haired Salamander and a mischievous little girl. Not seeing Ember there unnerved her.

"Ember?" she asked, hoping to receive some reply.

"Mama!" a joyous voice cried out, and from inside the kitchens, a small figure darted out and made head-way for her mother's legs. Lucy almost toppled from Ember's tackle, but managed to stand her ground. "Mama! Mama! I need to tell you something!"

Natsu and Happy came out, both with food in their mouths. Even still, they managed to give her a grin and wave.

Ember glared at Nazo for a small second before returning her sight to her mother. "Mama! I don't want you going on a mission with that guy!" she shouted, pointing a finger at Nazo, who casually raised an eyebrow. "I don't want you to get in danger, and he seems like a new idiot! I don't want you going with the lion idiot either. That's why I've decided that you can go with the pink-haired idiot!"

Lucy's eyeballs nearly bulged out of their sockets. "Ember! What are you on about this time?"

Ember gave her a pointed look. "It's simple Mommy. I don't like the new idiot. I don't like the lion idiot. The pink-haired idiot isn't _so _bad, and he's strong! And you guys used to be partners, which is even better! Then you can work together like the old days!"

Lucy sighed. "Ember, I _am _going with Nazo on this trip, alright? Natsu probably has another mission to go do with his _partner_, so you shouldn't be making decisions like that. I also want you to stop calling everyone 'idiot'. It's very rude. Call them either Uncle or Auntie, alright?"

Ember nodded. "Fine. But I asked _Uncle Natsu _and he was fine with it! He actually seemed excited to go with you! Right Uncle?"

Natsu nodded, grinning at Lucy. For some odd reason, Ember calling him 'Uncle' didn't quite feel... _natural_. He didn't know that Lucy herself had a queasy feeling from hearing it. Ember didn't voice it out, but calling Natsu 'Uncle' had made her feel weird.

"Ember. It is a _no _and that's final!"

Ember's eyes went wide and fearful. "No! Go with Uncle Natsu! Uncle! Make her go with you!"

Natsu glanced at the young girl and then at Lucy, before putting on his best puppy-dog face. "C'mon Lucy. You hear your daughter! Just go on the mission with me and Happy! It'll be fun! No offense to your... _partner _though," he stated, glancing over at Nazo cautiously.

Nazo decided to speak in his defense. "I don't know whether to feel... offended about your claims, but it is Lucy's choice on the matter. If she decides to go with me, then she will go with me. We have no reason to argue about it. If you do have any qualms about my being here, you can simply talk to me about it. Though, I don't honestly see why you have to _pester _her to this extent."

Nazo's eyes narrowed once he was finished speaking. Natsu matched the action, and the other Guild members watching felt some type of competitiveness spark up between them. Nazo then smirked at the young Dragon Slayer, before wrapping one arm around Lucy's shoulders in an intimate gesture.

Lucy froze, her eyes widening slightly. Ember stopped her incessant shouting; a glowered expression wiped across her face. Natsu scowled, emitting a low growl that Lucy and Nazo could barely hear. Many of their audience had narrowed their eyes and inched forward, ready to make an attack if necessary.

Nazo tilted his head, so that his lips were just barely touching the top of her ear. His warm breath reached her cheek, which made her flush slightly. The grip on her shoulders tightened and Natsu growled once more. "So Lucy, what's your decision?"

It felt as if a dry wind had passed through her throat. "...Well, I-I'm going on the mission with my p-partner, which is to say, you Nazo."

She missed the possessive look that Natsu gave as Nazo gave a winning grin.

"You heard her, and that's her decision," he said, a cocky tone finding its way into his voice. He directed his words at the two who glared at him with utter hatred. "I would prefer if you both did not interfere with her words. You both care for her a lot, right? So, you should be respectful of her decisions, correct?"

There was a tense moment, before Ember and Natsu nodded slightly. Ember then turned to her mother and wrapped her arms around the woman's legs once more. The grip on Lucy's shoulders slackened as one of his hands went to pat the young girl's head.

"You don't want to make you Mommy angry, right?" he asked, his voice slightly teasing. A victorious smile was spread across his face. Ember pouted and turned her head away from him.

Lucy had stayed silent during the whole affair. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to compose herself. "Nazo, could you please not talk to my daughter too much?" she asked politely, her tone edging on dangerous. Nazo nodded and moved away from the young girl, standing back up. Lucy took another breath and lifted Ember into her arms. "I – We're going back to Fairy Hills now. I'll see you all tomorrow morning."

She gave one last glance at Nazo and Natsu before pacing to the doorway, trying to shake off the awkwardness that she felt. Her nakama's eyes followed her trailing from until she exited, which was when they turned to look at Nazo with dagger-like glares.

Nazo turned to Natsu and his eyebrow shot up. "Something wrong Salamander? Being protective of something that you can never have?" he asked bitingly.

"What are you on about?" Natsu questioned, his eyebrows furrowing. '_What does this douche know about anything? I'm not being protective of anyone!_'

Nazo shrugged nonchalantly, his hands tucking into his pockets. "Nothing much. Don't worry about it. If that's all, I'm gonna ditch this place," he said, turning his back against the pink-haired man and raising his hand in a gesture of farewell. "See ya, _nakama_."

Natsu's fist clenched as Nazo walked out the building, another mysterious smile spread across his face.

**..O..**

Lucy sighed at the young girl that sat upon her bed. The small girl had her arms crossed, a frown too mature for her age spread across her face. She was _clearly _displeased. It was ironic, since it was supposed to be _her _that had that expression on her face.

"Ember," she said, her voice sounding tight. "Would you please tell me why you did that? Why would you insult my partner, and then decide for yourself that you can do whatever you want about my mission? _Why _would you suggest me going with another person when I had a perfectly capable partner already? _Why _are you _doing _all this?"

"Mama! I was doing this all for you! I want you to be safe, and I don't trust that big idiot!"

"Ember!" Lucy snapped, which left Ember gaping. "That isn't _your _decision to make, okay? It is _my _decision whether to trust Nazo, and right now - on some level - I do. You have no right to suddenly pull off something like that. And stop referring to people as idiots!"

Brown eyes began watering slightly as she lowered her head, suddenly afraid of what might happen. "Mama... Why do you trust the mysterious man? Someone might hurt you, and you don't know whether Mr. Nazo would help you. At least with Uncle Natsu..."

She cut her young daughter's speech, though her tone was less reprimanding than before. "Please, Ember. Why do you always insist on Natsu? We may have been partners before, but he has Lisanna as his partner now. I don't even know why you keep insisting on him, out of all people."

Ember pouted and hopped off the bed, glaring at her mother. There was a new fire burning within her that urged for her. "You wanna know why? Because! Out of all the _idiots_, he's the one that's most like a Daddy to me!"


	8. When She's Gone

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Oh my gosh. You guys – I can't. I just can't believe it. 100 reviews. We reached 100 reviews! Oh my gosh! You guys are just – Why do you all have to be so amazing? I never expected to reach 100 reviews when I first started, and not _this _soon. Thank you. Thank you. _Thank you_.

Thank you to each and every single one of you who reviewed, added to the favorites or alerts list, or simply read the last couple of chapters. I love you all so much. Too _much_ to describe.

Also, concerning the review from Pati. I actually got really worried when you said at my story was being rewritten. I thought I got plagiarized for a second there. Thank you for your concern, but the author is permitted to keep writing their story as long as it's not completely plagiarized (which it is not, as I checked). Again, thank you for your concern! Though if anyone notices any plagiarized work going around, not only with my story, do not hesitate to take action!

Moving on, this is filler-ish... It's practically… yeah. Filler I guess. Though I hope you still enjoy it!

I now present to you Chapter 7 of To What We Once Were!

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><p><strong>Chapter 7 - When She's Gone<br>**

She watched the scenery through the fog-stained window with half-dulled eyes. She wasn't used to being apart with Ember, but she knew that if she didn't do a mission, they'd be homeless by the next week.

What worried her about her daughter were her living arrangements. Reluctantly, she had agreed to let Ember stay with Natsu, Happy _and _Lisanna (who she had found out had been living with Natsu for a few months now.) She took a precautionary step by letting Cancer dye the small girl's hair blonde, though the Stellar Spirit had said it would only last for a few weeks. She agreed to that, knowing that after those few weeks, he would be able to re-dye them once more.

Another thing that made her anxious was Ember's outburst about Natsu being 'like a father' to her. It meant that Ember was closer to the truth than Lucy had estimated. How soon would it take for her daughter to realize the truth? How sooner would it take Natsu?

Across from her seat was Nazo, studying a rough map of the area they were visiting intensely. His blue-eyes wandered the parchment, scrutinizing every little detail about the geographical area. She watched him for a few moments, before sighing silently.

He looked up at her curiously. "Is there a problem Lucy?"

She looked at him and smiled weakly, shaking her head. "No... It's – It's nothing. Don't mind me."

He gave her a skeptical look, putting aside the map before leaning forward. "I know that we may not have known each other for a long time, and you still may not trust me but you do know that if you have any problems, you can tell me right?" he asked, his eyes trying to provoke some type of response. She nodded. "Can I venture a guess and say that this is about Ember?"

She bit her lip and nodded slightly. "This is going to be the first time that I will be away from her for a long period of time. We're on this mission for a _week _Nazo. How am I going to cope without her? How is _she _going to cope without me?"

His smile calmed her a bit as his right hand reached forward to claim her own. His eyes met hers and she began to relax. "You shouldn't be worried Lucy. I believe that we'll end this mission successfully, and before you know it, you will be with your daughter once more."

His words gave her renewed hope, and she gave him a grateful smile, squeezing his hand. "Thank you Nazo. Thank you."

**..O..**

She was sitting at her mother's esteemed spot at the bar, waiting for Mira to bring her some freshly-made chili fries. She couldn't help but feel... _alone _without her mother there, smiling or reprimanding her. It just wasn't _right_.

A blue exceed sat on the counter, watching the young girl with interest. He noted that her hair was dyed to blonde, which made her look like a carbon copy of Lucy. Ember sighed, her gaze turning away from the door and onto said Exceed. She smiled at him before patting his head.

"Happy," she began, her tone a little disheartened. "How long is Mama supposed to be gone for?"

"One week," he replied, knowing the answer off by heart since she's asked the question for the tenth time that morning.

"And she'll definitely be back by then, right?" she asked, her eyes wide and fearful. The thoughts of her mother never returning back to her swirled in her mind, and fear bubbled within her. Happy smiled comfortingly and moved forward, so that he lay right in front of Ember.

"Aye!"

She thought about it, before giving a full-fledged grin. "Okay! As long as Mama comes back, I'll be fine! Now... I'm hungry..."

Just as those words were spoken, Mirajane came out of the kitchen door, a wonderful heaping plate of chili-fries in her hand. Ember's eyes widened, her mouth beginning to drool over the platter. Mira smiled dotingly, placing the plate before her. In a blink of an eye, Ember was chomping through the meal, as if she had been suffering starvation for days. Mira watched her amusedly.

"So," Ember began, taking a pause to chew her food. "Auntie Mira, since Mama isn't here, can we start?"

Mira took a moment to wonder what in Earthland the small girl was talking about. After a few moments, a wide grin unbecoming of her spread-wide across her face, as she began glancing conspicuously at the few Guild members that were there.

Mira leaned forward. "Who do you want to start with first?" she quietly asked, glancing at specific people sitting around tables. Ember spun on her chair and did the same, looking to see which couple would be fun to match first.

She grinned when she saw a head of blue hair pass through the doors. The blue-haired mage scanned the room, smiling brightly when she saw the familiar stripper staring down the mission board. Ember tugged on Mira's sleeve and pointed. "How about we start with those two?"

Mira followed the pointed finger, eyes twinkling when she saw their first couple. After a moment, she nodded. "They're perfect! Now, do you have any specific ideas?"

Ember grinned and hopped off the chair. "Yep! Hopefully it'll work..."

**..O..**

Ember skipped over to the mission board and tugged on Juvia's sleeve. The water mage looked down at her and smiled affectionately. "Is there something wrong Ember?" she asked, once she had noticed the small tears clouding the young girl's eyes.

She sniffed. "I – I really miss Mama," she murmured quietly, and Juvia gazed with sympathetic eyes. "And... I wanted to ask if... Maybe... Can you please act like my Mama for a little while?"

Juvia's eyes widened, and Gray (who was still looking for missions) gave the pair a sideward glance, curious about where their little conversation was headed. Juvia's mouth had parted slightly from surprise, as she thought of whether to agree or reject Ember's request. Sensing Juvia's hesitation, Ember decided to increase her chances, by giving a small pout, her eyes widening into an infamous puppy-dog look.

Juvia couldn't have fought it. With Ember's new hair, she looked like the total carbon copy of Lucy and something in her eyes just made Juvia fall hard. She smiled unsurely. "Okay Ember. I – I'll act like your Mommy for a while."

Ember smiled widely and tackled Juvia, making her topple to the ground. Gray looked startled and moved forward to help her up. Ember glanced at Mira, who was grinning, and gave her a thumbs-up. She then looked back at Juvia worriedly. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Mama Juvia!"

"Mama Juvia?" Juvia asked dazedly, taking Gray's hand to help her stand up. "I'm not quite used to that yet."

Ember put her hands on her waist. "Well, you'll have to get used to it now Mama Juvia!" she cried out happily, before turning to look at Gray. At seeing the small girl staring at him, he grew suspicious. "Uncle Gray, could you maybe act like my Daddy?"

Gray nearly toppled over at her question. "The fu-" he began, before cutting himself off when he saw Juvia's warning glare. "What are you talking about Ember? You didn't really need a Daddy before. Why now?"

"Well... Mama Juvia may not be able to raise me by herself, so she might need your help! So can you act like my Daddy? Please Uncle Gray!" she pleaded, giving another puppy-dog gaze. Gray scowled and looked at Juvia, who was watching him, waiting for an answer. He looked around him to see others watching the scene with interest. He finally turned back to Ember, who had attached herself to his leg.

"...Fine."

Ember grinned and let go of her grip on Gray's leg, reaching out to Juvia. The water mage was surprised at first, but then responded by picking up the little girl. Ember smiled and snuggled up to the older lady. "Mama Juvia, can we go out and play at the park?"

The expectant look in her eyes charmed the water mage. "Of course Ember. Is Gray-sama coming along with us?"

Said ice mage looked up, his arms folded in a symbol of defiance. The scowl on his face was unflattering. Ember's usual warm eyes narrowed, as she began to glare at Gray. The ice mage was unfazed, continuing to glare at the young girl. Thus began a fierce staring contest, between the ice-hearted mage and the fiery young girl. Juvia glanced between the pair before turning her eyes to Mira, desperate for some help. The barmaid responded, walking towards the small trio.

She began to push Gray towards the door, and Juvia began to walk with Ember still in her arms. Both competitors still hadn't let their gazes drop, though Ember was beginning to squint. Once they were outside the doors, Mira waved them goodbye before going back to her bar.

Ember squinted further, and after a few moments, blinked. Gray grinned and chuckled, ruffling the pouting girl's hair. Juvia smiled fondly at the two of them before dropping Ember gently to the ground. Ember grinned, her eyes flickering to the Guild doors for a second before she grabbed the adults' hands. Both mages were surprised, and cried out in protest as Ember began to run towards the town center.

**..O..**

Mira smiled as she walked back to her place at the bar. But, instead of going behind, she sat on one of the stools and laid her head down. She was worn out from thinking and worrying, just like a mother would. Her nakama were all so _dense _but Ember was kind enough to help, but then, there was also Lucy.

Happy peered at her, nibbling on a fish. "Mira-san, did you see Lucy this morning?"

Mira slowly sat up and nodded her head. A small worried smile came upon her face. "Yes, I saw Lucy. But it was a picture that I didn't like. She seemed so... anxious about something."

Happy nodded, stopping his meal. "I'm worried for Lucy. You know how Ember is staying with up for the week, right?" he asked, as Mira nodded diligently. "Well, she was like that as well when she came by to drop Ember off. I thought it was because they had to part, but there was something..."

**..O..**

_A knock from the door. Happy looked up to see Lisanna walk to the front and open the door, to reveal Lucy and Ember. His eyes widened a smidge when he noticed Ember's hair, but he kept silent. Lisanna's eyes also widened, but she just smiled and reached her hand forward, towards Ember._

_Ember looked hesitant to take the outstretched hand, glancing up at Lucy. Lucy smiled reassuringly, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. Ember seemed unsure, but put on a brave face and took the other lady's hand. Lisanna motioned for Happy to come._

_Happy obliged, flying towards the trio with a large grin. Ember giggled and ran towards the Exceed. Lisanna and Lucy smiled at them fondly before turning towards each other._

"_Lucy, you know this is a big risk, right?" Lisanna asked, her tone a tad nervous. "What if... What if he finds out? What will you do then?"_

_Lucy shook her head. "Ember practically begged to stay with him. I just couldn't say no. I – I don't know what I'm going to do."_

_As Ember began wandering around, Happy tuned into their conversation, extremely curious about the matters they were discussing. Lucy's voice sounded tearful, which made him worried._

_Lisanna placed a hand on her shoulder. "I – I'll try to hide it from him. The hair was a good cover too. But I can't guarantee that the secret will be kept."_

_Lucy sighed, and looked at Lisanna pleadingly. "Please. Please try. Because it's not just him I'm worried about. She – she might have a suspicion," she murmured quietly. Lisanna gasped softly. "I don't know what I'll do if they both figure it out."_

"_Will you leave?"_

_Lucy looked up. There was a tense moment of silence before she replied. "I don't know."_

**..O..**

Mira nodded as Happy finished his tale. Her face was one of deep contemplation. She was thinking hard about what she could do to lessen Lucy's suffering. The celestial spirit mage deserved none of the pain she had gone through.

Happy had similar thoughts, but then wondered what Lisanna and Lucy had been discussing about. The blue Exceed was much more perceptive than the Dragon Slayer, and knew that the Guild was keeping some type of secret. He then looked up to Mira, determined to get an answer.

"Mira-san! Can you please tell me the secret that everyone is keeping?"

Mira froze, shaken from her reverie. She glanced down at Happy. "W – What secret Happy? We're not keeping secrets from you!"

"I don't believe you Mira-san. Why won't you tell me? We're all nakama here, right?" Happy turned to the few people dwindling around the Guild. "We're all nakama! And nakama can be trusted with secrets! Please, tell me! I wanna help Lucy!"

Everyone froze and turned to the feline, who all looked at them pleadingly. They then gazed at their maternal figure with confusion in their eyes. Mira looked around, trying to form some sort of reply to leave her lips. The Guild remained in a strained silence for a few moments.

She patted the Exceed on the head, her resolve made. "We'll tell you Happy."

**..O..**

He stood outside, arms folded as he waited patiently. Lisanna was inside the shop, buying whatever new knickknack she wanted in the household. Even though he loved the girl, the sheer amount of waiting time that he wasted got on his nerves.

Taking one last look at his girlfriend, who seemed quite intent looking at bed-sheets, he began walking. Merging into the crowd, he walked aimlessly, wondering what productive thing he could do without anyone's accompaniment.

After a while, not knowing how much time passed, he managed to find himself standing in front of Lucy's old apartment by the river. He looked up to the window that he used to sneak into on a nightly basis, a fond smile taking over his face.

Though the smile was quickly replaced with a frown when his mind drifted to thoughts about Lucy and Nazo. _Nazo_. That single name made his fiery spirit more aggressive than usual, yet he didn't know why. What had been causing his over-protectiveness? Was he trying to make up for lost time?

But, it wasn't just her partner that made him seethe, but the mystery about her daughter. The fact that she _had _a daughter was a bombshell in itself, but hearing that the _father _was in their _Guild_... That just made the bomb explode.

Who could have been the father? Did anyone else know who the father could be? Did the father know that Ember was their child? Did the father love Lucy? Did _Lucy _love the father?

He paused in the middle of thinking, realizing the final question that he had mused. Why did he care if Lucy loved the man, other than the fact that it was one of his nakama? Why did he feel _sick_ at the simple thought?

_Lucy_. Thinking of her made his whole self calm down. But, he knew that something was wrong with her. He could tell that she had problems, yet she had never voiced them out to any of them; to _him_. Had she lost her trust in her Guild?

He then felt immediately guilty. He himself had been keeping a secret to everyone, especially to Lisanna and well, Lucy. They had begun the night of when she had come back; those _dreams_. Each and every night, it was the same dream over and over again. He shouldn't have been thinking about it. The thoughts were simply... _wrong_.

The dreams felt too real. The sights, the smells, the sounds, the touches, the _tastes_; they all seemed too real to be dreams. Yet, if they weren't dreams, then what could they have been?

He glanced back up at the apartment window, his mind swaying in and out of his complicated thoughts, before his feet began moving on their own accord, back to where he had left Lisanna. The sickly feeling in his stomach had not left, but grown worse, as an image of Lucy laughing, while Ember is being carried by a mysterious, shadowed figure came into mind.

**..O..**

Simple mission; maybe she had misread the mission sheet.

It was only the first day, yet she felt dread pit up in her stomach. There was something... not _right_ about the little town they were meant to be headed to. When she asked around in the train about the town, she got many wide eyes, gapes, shakes of the head and other actions reminiscent of that.

When she had voiced out her concerns to Nazo, he merely squeezed her hand once more, speaking comforting words to set her right.

So she was back to her former position, leaning against the window as the silhouette of the eerie town came into view. Looking at it reminded her of a horror-filled town they would visit in mystery novels to crack the case.

She shuddered at the sight, her thoughts drifting to Ember as they came into the train station. She and Nazo were one of few left on the train. The dread made her feel more hesitant about entering the town. Nazo grabbed her hand and Lucy looked up at him.

He was smiling, saying no words, but conveying the message of comfort through his actions. She bit her lip and nodded, as they began to walk into the mysterious fog that surrounded them.


	9. The Pain of the Fight

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Each and every single week, it never fails to baffle me. Why do you all read this story? Why do you leave reviews? I'm just so _thankful_, because it seems too hard to believe that people read _this_! Rambling aside, I would like to again thank all those who review, add to their favorites or alerts lists, or read the chapters that I put up. Thank you!

This is a _long_, action-packed chapter, so I hope you're all ready for it!

Also, shameless advertising here, but, I've posted a little fluffy one-shot titled '_Give Me That Book!_', for our favorite couple of NaLu, and I'd really appreciate it if you read it. It's not obligatory though, so it's fine if you just totally miss this message.

And with that, I now present Chapter 8 of To What We Once Were!

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><p><strong>Chapter 8 - The Pain of the Fight<br>**

Seven days.

It had been seven days since she had seen her daughter's smiling days. Seven torturous days of brutal mission-completing.

It seemed simple at the beginning really. All she and Nazo had to do was gather information about the small mystery town they were in; record if there were any dark Guild activities and such, then head back home as follows.

Yet she never quite expected to be fighting with two freelance mages in a battle for her _life_.

She could barely see the battle going on in front of her, with her vision all blurred. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears; the adrenalin of the fight coursing through her veins. She moved into a crouching position, reaching out for the whip which lay near a crumbled wall. Instinctively, her free hand moved to the set of keys, which were dutifully attached to her hip. Knowing that they were there calmed her.

In front, she could make out moving figures; waves of power emitting from each attack they gave. She could literally feel the impact of Loke's Regulus Punch hitting the unknown mage, who seemed to have a grudge against Lucy especially. Taking the punch as if it were nothing, the anonymous man raised his hands up in a swift motion and pointed them at Loke. Soon enough, crumbling pieces from the Earth rose up, following the commands given by the mage. Loke managed to evade, albeit receiving a gash to his leg.

She looked around frantically, in search for her partner. Feet away from her, Nazo was using his power, lifting objects from all around to use as a shield against the vengeful magic of his foe. The mystery woman, and partner of the man, seemed to be an equal match to Nazo's telekinesis.

Under her, shadows swirled; a typhoon of darkness. Without warning, she struck Nazo with a shadow-claw, grazing his stomach. Nazo grit his teeth and looked around to spot Loke and Lucy. His expression was mysterious.

Lucy, knowing that she wouldn't give up without putting a fight, stood up, whip in hand. She ran forward towards the woman, lashing out her whip as if it were an extension of her arm. The woman blocked the strike with her shadows, and launched a series of attacks against Lucy. Lucy countered them all with her whip, though getting exhausted with each hit.

Lucy heard an agonizing cry from somewhere near her, and paused mid-battle to see Loke on the ground, staring up at the man giving him a sinister grin. A rock shaped in the form of a lance was in his hand. Nazo was staggering towards the celestial spirit, determination spread across his face.

Then everything appeared to fall into slow-motion.

Lucy's eyes widened, her head slowly lowering to see a warm, red substance clotting against her stomach; blood. She felt the pain of a blade withdraw from behind her, and she heard something reminiscent of a witch's cackle echo in her ears. She locked her gaze onto Nazo and Loke, who were both running towards her, crying out her name, yet they were distant.

Her legs gave way, and darkness overcame her.

**..O..**

Ember grinned, happily slurping the spicy udon Mirajane had prepared for her only a little while before. Beside her, Happy was grinning as well, pleasantly nibbling on a fish that Mira had also given. On her other side, a pink-haired dragon slayer appeared to be in turmoil about something, since he had been moaning and groaning for the past half-hour.

Ember was proud of herself. In a week's time, many of the couples that she and Mira had been rooting for grew _suspiciously _closer. Those in the Guild had noted the development, and held some fear for the conniving duo. The only couple yet to be closer was Erza and Jellal, and that was mainly because he hadn't made an appearance at the Guild yet.

She was even more excited about what was meant to happen later on during the day. It had been an entire week since she last saw her mother, and her anxiousness and excitement at seeing her smiling face once more was bursting at the seams.

Needing to do something to let out her jumble of emotions a tiny bit, she poked Natsu's arm. There was a grumble in response, but nothing more. She pouted and poked him again. The same end result. She pouted even further, unleashing a volley of pokes on the unsuspecting man.

He groaned and moved his head to look at her. "Ember, I'm tired. Stop poking me."

"But I'm bored! And I can't wait for Mommy to come and play! Why don't you play with me rose-idiot?"

He waved a hand at her and mumbled something incoherent before actually saying words that she could understand. "Just be patient Ember. You mom's gonna be back anytime soon, and you'll be able to play with her then."

She sighed, opening her mouth to retort his statement when the frequent occurrence of barging through the Guild's front door happened once more. She heard frightened gasps, and exhausted panting. She was about to turn her head when Mirajane caught her and covered her eyes.

Natsu sat up and turned, curious about what was happening. At the sight, he tilted his head down, bangs covering the look of murderous intent he had in his eyes. He stood from his chair and strode forwards to the pair. The man carrying the woman was panting heavily, scrapes and wounds covering his body.

The barely conscious woman in his arms was in a worse condition. Not only were the scratches and bruises scattered over her arms and legs, but there was also a shoddily-made bandage wrapped around her stomach, already stained with the crimson color of blood.

His voice came out as a low growl. "What in Earthland happened to her?"

The man paid no attention, calling out to the other people watching. "We need a medic here now! Can someone help?"

Quick as a flash, Wendy came to their side, looking quite pale at the sight of one of her friends in such a state. She swallowed deeply before beginning her healing work on the spot; enough so that the wound would just close up enough for her to be moved safely to another area.

Though, closing the pain did give pain, to which the patient reacted to. She let loose a cry of pain, even though she tried hard not to. The cry ripped through the room, and made its way right to Ember's ears.

Something in Ember broke, as she tried to free from Mira's grasp. "Let me go! Lemme go! I wanna see! Let me see! Mommy! Mommy!"

**..O..**

She stirred, eyes fluttering open weakly to gaze at a white-painted ceiling. Noting that it wasn't a mysterious clouded-sky, she shot up immediately, groaning as a pain from her stomach shot through her. She slammed back down on the mattress, but turned her head to the side to see where she was.

Sitting on a chair beside her were two sleeping forms. One was a pink-haired man, snoozing gently with his head leaning slightly against the backrest of the chair. In his lap, snuggling against his chest was a young girl with fine-blonde hair. She too was asleep; a small smile gracing her face as she explored her dream lands.

A fond smile came to Lucy's lips, as she relished the vision in front of her. Somewhere in her, she wanted to wake up to the scene each and every morning, but her fear shrouded that wish.

From the door, a creak resounded, and in came a familiar blue-haired wind mage. Wendy smiled at her, glad to see that there were no complications with her healing. She walked up to the older woman and sat at the edge of her bed. "Lucy-san, are you alright?"

Lucy nodded. "I seem to be fine. Can you tell me what happened?"

Wendy put a finger on her chin and tapped, trying to recall what had happened. "Well, yesterday afternoon, Nazo burst into the Guild with your barely breathing in his arms. I healed you a bit when you were at the door, and Nazo carried you here to the infirmary so that you could receive a more intense healing session from me. After that, you slept the day away. It seemed that whatever object had pierced you didn't really hit any vital organs, but had some short-term poisonous effects on you. Which is probably why you slept so deeply."

"Are they alright?" she asked, giving a glance at the two sleeping people. Wendy smiled reassuringly.

"They're both alright now. Natsu was murderous from the moment Nazo had stepped in. He was screaming about 'protecting you' and such things," Wendy explained, waving a hand. "It was sweet to see him so concerned. Ember was crying a lot though. Surprisingly, it was Natsu who managed to calm her down. They both came in to see you when I let in visitors, and they haven't left since."

She smiled wryly, turning her head to look back at the ceiling. "I see..."

Wendy stared at her for a moment. "Lucy-san, don't you think that you should tell them? I think that by now, it would be fine to tell them."

Lucy stayed silent.

Wendy sighed before standing up from her place to move to the door. Just before she left the room, Wendy whispered. "They deserve it."

The door was gently closed shut. Lucy continued to look up at the ceiling, not bothering to wipe the tears running down from her eyes. An eye from the seated man peeked at her, having heard the conversation as soon as it began. He felt his heart clench when he heard her pain-filled voice when she whispered words to whom she believed was no-one.

"I know..."

**..O..**

It was a beautiful night, a total contrast in comparison to the events that partook the day before. Natsu made sure that Ember was perfectly alright in Lucy's arms, both girls out like a light. He then took his leave from the room, giving a glance at the sleeping pair before heading out the door. He then walked to Mira's bar, where she was diligently wiping at some of Cana's drinking mugs.

"Are they both fine?" she asked, her tone concerned. He grinned and nodded, stealing Lucy's acclaimed seat.

"Ember was crying her eyes out when she saw that Lucy was fine. They're both asleep now," he informed her, taking the glass of water that magically appeared from Mira. She smiled and put away the clean glasses, leaning against the counter with her hands carrying her chin.

"Are you okay? Yesterday, you were about ready to murder someone in our Guild in cold-blood," she chimed in absentmindedly. He made a grumbling sound.

"That guy ain't part of our Guild."

"And I'm about to venture a guess and say that you are talking about me, Natsu-kun?" another voice added in to their conversation, and both heads turned to see Nazo sitting himself in the seat beside Natsu. "No surprise there though. I already knew from our first meeting that you would never trust me."

"You got that right."

"Especially with your dear _Lucy_."

Natsu slammed his glass down on the counter, making Mira jump. Something flashed in his eyes, to which Nazo smirked haughtily at, knowing that he had just pushed the dragon slayer's buttons. Natsu gritted his teeth, seething at the tone the man used to say her name. It made them seem so intimate, which Natsu did _not _approve of.

"Did I strike a chord with you dragon slayer?" he asked teasingly. "Does it have something to do with _Lucy_?"

"Don't say her name," he growled out, his tone making him more dangerous than he seemed.

"Why can't I Natsu-kun? I'm perfectly liable to do so, aren't I? Even though you may not consider me a part of this Guild, it happens to be that I _am_. Also, _Lucy_ considers me as her _partner_. Therefore, you cannot make any objections about it, right?"

"You're not her partner."

His eyebrows shot up. "Oh really? And how is that so?"

"Because it's supposed to be _me _that's her partner!" he cried out, hushing everyone in the Guild into a fearful silence. Natsu's hands were already heating up, flickers of flame being emitted from the limb. His head was down, so that no-one could see what emotion he was feeling. Inside, all of them were guiltily happy that Natsu had said that, and were almost thankful that Lisanna hadn't been there to hear the outcry.

Nazo leaned towards the dragon slayer, a peculiar smirk on his face. He moved closer to his ear, so that he could whisper something that no-one other than Natsu could hear.

"Shame that is then. Don't you remember that it was _you _who threw her from your team six years ago? It was _you _who broke her heart with your insolent words. It was _you _who gave up on being _**her**_ _partner_. And now, just because some other man you don't trust comes in and picks up the duty that you abandoned, you believe that you have earned the _right _to once again claim that title?"

"SHUT UP!" he roared, his hands fully alight and aimed at Nazo's chest. The people closest to them fled, in fear of the awaited fight that they knew would happen. Nazo continued smirking, proud of the outcome of his mere words. Natsu held a vicious – almost animalistic – glare at the man, beyond the point of sustaining his anger.

Nazo tilted his head towards the left, and one of the glasses Mira had packed away rushed through the air, hitting Natsu square in the back of the head. The dragon slayer wasn't deterred, and sent a burning punch to his opponent's chest.

Swiftly, Nazo had moved so that the impact would cause less damage, though it had hit his stomach. A smoking hole appeared on his clothes, a slight burn appearing over the area. Nazo jumped backwards and unleashed a round of floating objects at Natsu, which the dragon slayer skillfully damaged.

Happy came rushing out of the kitchen, bewildered at what could be causing the ruckus. He was alarmed at the sight of a ferocious Natsu, fighting a clearly delirious Nazo, who was smirking the entire time. He rushed towards his best friend and shouted reassuring words at him, in an attempt to calm him down.

"Natsu! Calm down! Don't kill him! He's Lucy's partner!"

His words didn't help, as he seemed to have snapped even further at the last statement. He charged at Nazo, arms set alight with furiously-bright flames. Nazo jumped and flipped up, higher than what people could have expected from him. He landed behind Natsu and whisked a table in his direction.

Natsu burned the table without a second glance, striding towards Nazo. Nazo's smirk began to face, replaced with an angry scowl. Nazo launched another volley of large items, taking away over half of the objects that surrounded them.

Natsu blocked them all, creating a barrier of fire to shield him. He kept on striding forward, as Nazo continued to retreat, throwing object after object to weaken him. It was pointless, since Natsu was relentless. Soon enough, Natsu was an arm's length away from Nazo, who was cornered against the wall.

Nazo gritted his teeth, concentrating all his power on the single object he hadn't moved. Before Natsu could even think of it, he was flying towards the opposite wall, with no control over his body. He crashed, the impact of the hit coursing through him quickly.

His flames didn't cease though, as he picked himself back up to launch back. He began throwing fireballs at the man, the attacks taking Nazo by surprise. The being, his foe couldn't dodge them, and took the impact almost straight on.

Natsu strode forward once more, opening his mouth to bellow out the infamous words.

"FIRE DRAGON R-"

"Natsu! STOP IT!"

He stopped mid-roar, eyes widening at the all too familiar voice. His head moved so fast, he could've almost gotten whiplash. There, standing from the corridor leading to the infirmary, was a weak looking Lucy. Her eyes shone with an expression of disappointment, which made Natsu's heart plummet into his stomach. In her arms was Ember, who was slowly beginning to stir awake.

"Dada?" she questioned in her drowsy state, which made those who had heard her freeze up, Lucy being the worst. When she looked up and saw her mother, she snuggled closer up. "Mama, did you know I had a dream of falling asleep on Daddy? I thought that it might have been real..."

Something clicked inside Natsu's head, as if he was slowly – _extremely _slowly – beginning to make a realization. Though, he didn't voice it out.

Lucy patted Ember softly on the head; a comforting gesture. "Don't worry Ember. It was probably just a dream... Now," she turned to face Natsu and Nazo, her voice taking on a threatening. "What have the two of you done?"

Natsu opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it at the scathing glare Lucy was giving.

"Why, we were simply having a chat, the way men do it. Isn't that right Natsu-kun?" Nazo replied smoothly, giving Lucy a smile. Natsu could feel his anger bubbling again, at the small, harmless smile that she showed to Nazo.

"I don't know _why_ I should believe you but –"

She froze, before falling onto her knees. Ember's eyes widened as Lucy's grip on her loosened, making her tumble as her mother further collapsed on the floor, clutching at her stomach. A look of pure pain was etched on her face.

Just looking at her in pain felt poisonous to him. He rushed over and knelt down, trying to get her in a more comfortable position. Her shirt had scrunched up, showing the bandage he had seen Wendy wrap around her only hours before seeping out a dark-sticky liquid which _wasn't _blood.

"Wendy!" he hollered out, looking frantically for his fellow dragon slayer. He heard a crash, and looked at its direction to find Wendy rushing towards him, already preparing herself to heal her friend. She reached him in no less than a second, already kneeling down and taking off the bandages she had placed.

Cana and Mira both called to Ember, motioning for her to come to them so that they could block her from seeing Lucy's horrific wound. She didn't move though, seemingly entranced by what she would see. Cana swore aloud before running towards the little girl, grabbing and carrying her off towards the back of the small ring of members which formed around Lucy.

Lucy moaned in pain, writhing uncontrollably. Natsu gritted his teeth and grasped at her hand, squeezing it so that she would know he was there. Her closed eyes opened a smidge, a pain filled smile showing on her face at seeing him.

He tried to smile back, but she fell unconscious once more, as Wendy revealed the wound. A mass of the liquid seeped its way from it, covering her entire stomach and torso in a mysterious black substance. Wendy immediately began muttering incantations, trying to ease the pain and take away the thick liquid.

A deafening screech made Wendy stop, as Lucy began to pant. Her face was one filled with fright, as she began screaming in terror. Natsu held her hand, trying not to let his emotions get carried away as Lucy began screaming things that he could actually make out.

"NO! NO! NOT THEM! NOT THEM! NOT MY NAKAMA! TAKE ME INSTEAD! JUST TAKE ME! NO! MIRA! WENDY! GRAY! JUVIA! ERZA! LEVY! " she cried out, tears already free-falling from her scrunched up eyes. It was as if the occurrences in her mind were so real, that she began to believe it was truly reality.

Her nakama, all of them, were being slashed down one by one by a mysterious hooded figure.

Those who were watching her suffer from actual reality fought the urge to hunt down who had done it to her. The people whose names she cried out felt their hearts break at her devastated tone.

"NO! HAPPY! HAPPY!" she called out, leaving the Exceed shaken out of his wits. Tears were shrouding his vision, as he rushed to be by her side.

She suddenly grew quiet, which shocked her nakama. In her mind, she was shrouded by darkness; afraid of whom she will see hurt next. A spine-chilling laugh echoed around her, and all she could do was look around. Then, she saw two figures, lying down side by side under the mercy of that same hooded figure.

"Natsu. Ember."

Her voice came out as a mere whisper, but they were so disbelieving that Natsu was almost-crushing her hand. He was gritting his teeth, trying not to cry out from the pain that _he _was feeling.

In the darkness, the hooded figure grinned maliciously at her. Out of nowhere, a blade was concocted, placed in the hooded figure's hands. The figure turned to look at Natsu and Ember, who were both staring at it with wide eyes.

"Mommy!" Dream-Ember cried out, just before the figure slashed them both through the chest, right where their hearts had beat.

The worst screech of pain that they could never have imagined ripped through the Guild, piercing straight through the Guild members' ears. Natsu looked stricken, while Ember was fighting Mira and Cana's combined hold on her, tears falling as she tried to reach her mother.

Lucy writhed and shrieked once more, crying out two more names.

"NO! NO! NO! NATSU! EMBER!"

Out of all the names said before, it was those two which sounded the most pain wrought. Ember began fighting the holds even tighter, desperate to see her mother. Natsu was almost about to break, as he began to call for Lucy in an attempt to wake her up. Wendy was working tirelessly, most of the liquid already vanishing into nothingness.

Minutes passed, and all the Guild heard was continuous cries of 'Lucy' and her own shrieks. Beads of sweat formed on Wendy's forehead, the sheer amount of work she was put to making her almost collapse. Minutes passed, yet it felt much longer.

The cries ceased, as Lucy fell limp against Natsu. His eyes widened as he pressed his fingers to her pulse point, to reassure himself that she wasn't gone. At the weak, but steady feeling of the beats, he sighed. Wendy smiled weakly at her work, before she too collapsed. From the crowd, Romeo appeared and lifted her up, already beginning to walk to the infirmary.

Natsu would have done the same, but he was still worried that her wound might open once more. He looked at Lucy's peaceful face, a contrast with the pain struck expression she had only minutes before.

Ember's sobs quietened down, as the women let their grips loose. She ran towards her mother with barely any stumbles. Seeing her mother asleep, she began sniffling, before she wrapped her small arms around her mother's frail form.

The Guild began to feel reassured, few of them moving back to their original spots. That is, until the front door opened, though much less violently than happenings before. In strode a strong man that they were all familiar with.

The fierce red-headed mage, who was still shaken by Lucy's fit, moved to greet the man. Her tone was solemn. "Jellal."

He nodded at her curtly, but was concerned by her tone of voice. He looked around to see Lucy's form resting against Natsu, though he didn't seem to be at all surprised. Instead, he kept a passive face and turned to the S-Class mage.

"I could already guess what has happened here, and it might relate to what I have to tell you," he explained, his tone grim. "A strong Dark Guild has been making recent activity, and I have reason to believe that they are aiming for one of your members. Mainly; Lucy Heartfilia."


	10. The Imminent Threat

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

I love you all _so, so, __**so**_much! Thank you to each and every single person that read these chapters. You guys motivate me so much. I can't _believe _the amount of reviews, alerts and favorites. And don't get me started on the hits!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, added to the favorites and alerts list, or read the chapters. You all never fail to put a smile on my face each and every day!

This chapter is somewhat the... _final _of what you would call the 'newcomer arc'. Watch out for what may happen next, because we'll be delving deeper into more action!

Also, to answer _Archangel-Angelo's_ question, I believed that this story happened after the timeskip, but if that makes everything confusing, then you are free to think that the events occurred before it.

And without further ado, I now present Chapter 9 of To What We Once Were.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9 - The Imminent Threat<strong>

Makarov stared at all them, his gaze piercing straight through. The events of the past few days have left him both concerned and unimpressed. The news he had received latest is what called the meeting that they were all in.

In front of him were some of the main people that had caused the events. All of them were either sitting in some chair provided, or were standing with their arms folded. They all seemed quite passive about the meeting, as if they had already expected to be called in.

The man that had arrived at the Guild earlier in the day stepped forward and lay down some documents on Makarov's desk. As the Guild master began flipping through the pages, Jellal spoke. "They go by the name of _Shadow Demon_, a fitting name for the _activities _that they participate in."

Makarov threw down the papers carelessly onto his desk; his expression hinted at slight anger. "And what business would they have with Fairy Tail?"

Jellal glanced sidewards, at the weary-looking woman seated on one of the more comfy chairs. Behind her, a man stood protectively, eyeing another man in the room with a wary expression. "It seems that they are after the strongest Celestial Spirit mage there is; which is to say, Lucy Heartfilia."

Natsu tensed, his right hand clenching into a fist. Lucy watched wordlessly, physically and emotionally drained from the earlier occurrence.

"What do they want me for?" she questioned, her voice feeling raw from the statement. She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder, but she didn't look up to see the man who made the action, keeping her eyes focused on Jellal.

"We have no physical evidence, but it seems that they hold some type of grudge against Celestial Spirits, and their leader has some type of history with one Celestial mage in particular," he explained, to which Lucy raised her eyebrows at. "You would be familiar with her, since her name is Layla Heartfilia."

Lucy froze, eyes widening at the name. Natsu squeezed her shoulder once again, though was staring at Jellal like the man was growing two heads. The air became thick with tension, as they all waited for Lucy's response.

"...Mother?"

Her tone was disbelieving, and she was tempted to just scream and run far away from her troubles. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Memories of her mother flashed through her mind; the precious moments that she cherished.

She opened her eyes, clear determination shining through. "So their leader has something against my mother, and now they want me?"

Jellal nodded, turning back to face Makarov, who had been listening silently. "They might be planning a siege against the Guild, so I wanted to notify you beforehand. Also, I suggest that you keep Lucy-san safe at all costs. Is there anyone else that might need protection?"

There was a knock at the door, and heads turned. Erza walked over and opened it, to reveal a young girl looking quite shy, her head lowered down and cheeks stained with dried tear-tracks. She looked up when she saw Erza. "Can I see my Mommy now?"

Erza glanced at Lucy, who smiled and nodded. Ember got the message, already running towards her mother with fresh tears streaming from her eyes.

"Mommy! Are you okay? They didn't let me see you, and I was so scared, and you were screaming and-"

Lucy stroked her hair comfortingly, as the girl's crying was reduced to sniffles. "Ember, it's alright. I'm fine now, see. Don't worry anymore sweetie," she whispered softly, continually stroking her daughter's head. It was soothing, since Ember hushed down, wrapping her arms around her mother's legs.

"And who may this be?" Jellal asked, though it was mostly rhetorical, since given Ember's looks and recent comments, it was clear who she may have been.

"This is my daughter, Ember," Lucy replied absentmindedly, smiling fondly at her daughter. Ember looked up and grinned at him, and he was struck by the similarities of the grin to one peculiar dragon slayer. He glanced at Natsu, who seemed oblivious to the similarity, as he continued to glare at Nazo from across the room. Jellal then glanced at Erza, who was giving off a dangerous warning vibe.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ember."

"Same here!" she cried out, before she quickly turned to glare at Nazo, letting go of her mother to stride to the man. "You! Why? Why would you let my Mommy get hurt like that? You! I knew that Mommy shouldn't have gone with you on that mission! Look what happened! I'll never forgive you!"

"Ember!" Lucy reprimanded, effectively quieting the little girl down. "I'm sorry Nazo. It's alright though. You helped me get away from there and took me here. That's enough for me to say thank you."

Nazo looked pleasantly surprised, his eye flickering towards Natsu for a split-second before going back to Lucy. He walked over to her seat and took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "I apologize for letting danger come to you, but I am very glad to see you safe _Lucy_."

Ember noticed a faint burning smell in the air and looked at Natsu, who was silently charring the back of Lucy's chair. Her eyes widened in alarm. "Rose idiot! Stop burning the chair my Mommy's sitting on!"

Natsu flinched and retracted his hand back quickly, realizing his mistake. Ember pouted and glared at him, while he turned his head away. Lucy watched their interaction, fearful at the familiarity they showed between them.

Makarov motioned with his hand. "We can discuss these matters later then. Lucy, please get some rest. Jellal, feel free to stay at the Guild, since I may still need some information from you. Now, shoo!"

They all followed his orders, filing out the door quickly. Makarov sighed, unsurprised by the single man that didn't follow his orders. Natsu walked forward and slammed his hands on the desk. "Ojii-san, you probably already know what I want to talk about."

He shook his head. "No matter how much you are going to _ask _Natsu, I will _not _banish Nazo from the Guild."

"And why the hell not?" Natsu countered hotly, his tone filled with conviction. "That man allowed Lucy to get _injured_, and that wasn't any normal wound from what I saw. It was spewing out some black crap, and she was screaming her head off, and she was in so much pain... And it is _his entire_ fault!"

Makarov waved his hand, silently telling the dragon slayer to sit. Natsu obliged, grumpily slumping on the chair that Lucy had previously occupied. Makarov hopped onto his desk, sitting down so that he could interrogate Natsu.

"Is the only reason you hold a grudge against Nazo because he's Lucy's partner?" he questioned, his tone the least bit curious. Natsu glowered at the mention of Nazo's name.

"No! He just seems untrustworthy. I wouldn't let any guy like that into this Guild!"

Makarov closed his eyes for a moment, contemplating the words he would say next. "Natsu, did your father Igneel tell you a lot about dragons?"

Natsu leaned back against the chair, arms crossed while his face wore an expression of confusion. He was bewildered at the sudden change of topic from the senile old man. "Of course Igneel taught me a lot about dragons! He taught me everything about them of course! Why are you asking this question Jii-san?"

Makarov brushed off Natsu's question, continuing his interrogation. "And did he tell you what dragons truly treasure the most? To the point that their over-protectiveness can never be broken?"

Natsu's eyebrows furrowed. "Well yeah. Instead of what most people would think, which is gold, a dragon treasures his mate and offspring the most. But that's not the point right now Gramps! Tell me why you're asking these weird questions, now!"

Makarov held his hand up to silence him. "Tell me Natsu. Would you be angry if instead of Nazo being Lucy's partner, he was Lisanna's?"

Natsu froze, completely thwarted by the question. It was so obvious, that Natsu wondered if the old man was tricking him or was beginning to go loopy. He stared at the old man cautiously. "Of course I'd be pissed off if Lisanna was partnered up with Nazo! He might do something to her, and I wouldn't be there to protect her! The thought itself makes me want to sock him in the face."

The old man nodded understandingly. "Natsu, I have one final question for you, and I don't want you to answer me until you're decidedly sure that it is your final answer," he stated, and after a brief moment, Natsu nodded. "Would it make you angrier if Nazo was partners with Lisanna, or partners with Lucy?"

As Makarov dismissed him, Natsu's mind was completely blank, with the exception of a single woman who he'd _never_ want to see with Nazo if his opinion ever mattered to her.

**..O..**

"L – Lucy-san!" Wendy cried out between shaky gulps. Ember was patting the dragon slayer on the back, awkwardly trying to soothe her. "I'm so _sorry_. I should have known that there was something worse about that mysterious poison, but I underestimated it! I'm so sorry! You – you were in so much _pain_, and – and I could have prevented it."

Lucy laughed a bit. "Wendy, it's alright. Don't I seem fine now? You can stop worrying. You did a wonderful job, alright?"

Erza and Jellal watched Wendy burst into a new round of tears as Lucy joined Ember in comforting the girl. Jellal smiled wryly. "Can you tell me what had happened to Lucy just before I came in? It seems that it was a traumatic experience from a few."

Erza's eyes narrowed, still remembering the horrific pain that Lucy was in. "She – It seemed that she was placed in some type of nightmare. Nazo had stated that she was stabbed by some form of shadow, which had poisonous properties. The poison had probably affected her, which induced her in the nightmare-state."

Jellal nodded. "The mage that attacked her probably has some affiliation with the Guild that is threatening Lucy. It seems that Shadow Demon's Guild has a specialty with _shadow_-based types; not surprising in the least."

"I'm still confused as to why they want Lucy. You said that, their Guild master had some relationship with Layla Heartfilia?" the crimson-headed mage asked. Jellal merely nodded once more.

Before she could question him any further, an irritated looking dragon slayer, muttering to himself about peculiar things that no-one else could understand. He then halted in his tracks, head tilting up to see Lucy giggling. His expression softened, and his whole figure seemed to relax at the sound and sight of her.

Erza noted this with curiosity, but said no words.

The serene mood was threatened when Nazo strode to Lucy, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. If it were anyone else, it would have been a sweet gesture, but with the amount of suspicion on the man, everyone was on high alert.

Erza watched as Natsu's demeanor quickly switched to something defensive, as he walked up to Nazo and Lucy. Wendy had stopped crying only moments before and took a few cautious steps back, already aware that something may happen between the two men.

Ember stood beside her mother, as if guarding her from the prominent aggression between the two men. Though, she was secretly rooting for Natsu to beat Nazo up senselessly.

"I suggest that you take a step away from her, unless you really want your body to be burned beyond repair," Natsu threatened, showcasing his pointed teeth.

"_Natsu_!" Lucy cried out scandalously, looking up at Nazo apologetically. She was surprised to see that the mage was just smirking, cocking his head to the side as if challenging Natsu back. She heard a feral growl come out of the fire mage.

"Who declared that _you _have the right to judge who stays with Lucy or not?" Nazo questioned, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "Only Lucy has that decision. And well, if there was, her significant partner. And," he stepped forward, so that he could stand equally with Natsu. "Out of the two of us, we know who has a better chance of being _that _person, right?"

Lucy couldn't stop her eyes from widening. The comment that Nazo had made was uncalled for, and was quite _personal_. She glared promptly. "Nazo, can you not divulge _anything _about my private life. Just because you're my partner, does _not _mean that you have that right."

Nazo obliged to her words, moving back a few steps. Ember, aggravated by the words he had said earlier, stomped forward, lifting her right leg up to kick him in the shin.

He played along, 'recoiling' from the hit. He chuckled when she pouted. "Don't you dare say any words about who my Mama should be with! Out of all the people in this Guild, you have the least chance! More so, out of everyone, the pink-haired idiot probably has the most chance!"

Every eye in the Guild flickered to the little girl, who seemed to stand by her statement. Everyone froze, so it was as if time had stopped in the room. Some had even stopped breathing for a moment, in total shock about her words.

Lucy was the worst affected, as everything around her moved to slow-motion. She turned to look at her daughter, who was looking at Nazo fiercely. She then looked to Natsu, who had an odd, thinking expression.

The Guild's front door opened, and heads slowly moved to see Lisanna watching them all curiously. She tilted her head to the side, confused at why her nakama all seemed... _afraid_ to see her.

She then saw Lucy gazing at her with wide fearful eyes, and understood the situation a little more.

**..O..**

"Mama," Ember began, her tone sounding innocent. She and her mother were back in their apartment, a few hours after her outburst. "Did I say something wrong earlier?"

Lucy looked at her, trying to compose herself. She still felt a bit shaken from her daughter's words, fearful that she would figure the secret out much sooner than she originally believed. "No. You said nothing wrong today honey."

"I feel as if I did, because everyone was staring at me weirdly..."

Lucy smiled fondly, scooping her daughter up into her lap. Ember glanced at her with worried eyes, still disbelieving Lucy's words.

Lucy let out a deep sigh, squeezing her daughter tightly. "Ember, you did nothing wrong, okay? Everyone was just surprised at what you had said."

"Was it wrong for me to say that?" she asked quickly. "That Nazo guy had said something rude to you! Was it wrong to say something back?"

"No sweetie. It wasn't wrong," Lucy reassured, patting her daughter's head.

"Then was it my comment about the pink - I mean, about Uncle Natsu?" she asked in a tiny voice. "I only wanted to say something that would hurt Mr. Nazo... I'm sorry if I hurt you instead..."

Lucy gulped, but put on a brave face. "Ember, why would you think that you hurt me?"

A small pause, as the little girl took a breath. "Because... Out of everyone, you seemed the saddest about what I had said..."

The older woman sucked in a shaky breath, putting forward a comforting smile. To make her daughter happy, she would swallow up her fears. "Ember, you don't have to worry about it too much, okay? You said nothing wrong, alright. Please don't be sad anymore, alright?"

Ember sniffled, wiping a finger under her nose. She glanced at her mother with hopeful eyes, calming down at the sight of her smiling.

The young girl decided at that moment, that she would do anything in the world to see that smile adorn her mother's face every single day.

There was a peaceful silence between them, but it was quickly broken when Ember asked one more question.

"Mama, even if I don't know him, does my Daddy love me?" she asked, unsure of whether she would receive an answer or not.

The fear once again shot through her, but at seeing the longing expression in Ember's eyes, she knew that she had to give an answer, even if it wasn't the whole truth.

"Ember, even if you don't know him, your Daddy loves you very much," she whispered fondly, tapping the little girl on her nose. "He treasures you more than any jewel in the world. And whenever you need him; wherever he is and whatever he is doing, he will _always _come to save you."


	11. The Time of Celebration

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

You people are just _too amazing _for your own good. Thank you _so _much for the reviews, adds to the reviews or alerts lists, or simply reading. I cannot be more thankful about this! Thank you to all of you who have read this from the start, or just started reading last update, because this is all for you guys!

So, this is the beginning of a new 'arc'. We're actually beginning what I should call the 'end' of the story. Even though this may be the beginning of the end, I hope that you all stick around for what's to come!

I'm sorry about the pacing of this chapter. I was really unsure whether or not to expand on things, but then I realized that I would be stalling, so I sped things up a bit. If it's a bit confusing, I apologize.

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><p><strong>Chapter 10 – The Time of Celebration<strong>

A little girl ran to her mother, excitedly waving a flayer in her small right hand. A sparkling grin was seen on her face, which brightened the Guild's mood considerably. Many of the members gave doting smiles as she passed.

Lucy popped out of the kitchen, a small platter of chili fries in her hand as she heard her daughter's high pitched cries. A fond smile graced her lips at her daughter's enthusiasm, glad that there was something shining light in the murkiness of her thoughts.

"Mommy! Mommy! Look what I found!" she cried out, waving the paper in her hand even more vigorously. She reached her mother and shoved the paper to as far as she could stretch her arm. Lucy read the words imprinted, then laughed.

"The Harvest Festival?"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Ember cried, nodding her head and jumping up and down excitedly. "Doesn't it seem fun? And then there's a parade too! And," she pointed to a part of the page. "They're having a Miss Fairy Tail contest! You should enter Mommy! You'll definitely beat everyone!"

The other females glanced at Ember, who quickly realized her outburst and retracted, hiding behind her mother's legs comically.

"I mean – all of you have a good shot! Definitely!" Ember said, her tone sounding slightly nervous. The female members all flashed her reassuring grins and she was instantly relieved. Lucy laughed, stroking her daughter's hair comfortingly.

"Ember. Why do you want me to join?" she asked inquisitively, tilting her head a little to the side. The little girl grinned widely, and Lucy was still struck at the similarities of it to _him_. "I may not have a chance of winning, if you compare me to Mira, or Erza."

"Mommy!" Ember chastised, bonking the woman on her leg. "Stop being so sad! You can win! And I want you to participate because I want you to have fun! Lately, it doesn't seem like you're having much fun here…"

Lucy instantly felt guilty, angry at herself for letting her daughter get concerned about her. Ember was simply meant to enjoy, and she was ruining that opportunity for her daughter. Sucking a breath, she crouched down to Ember's height.

"If you're so sure, then I will enter, alright? And I will _try _to win for you Ember."

The little girl cheered, scampering off to threaten the other females in the Guild playfully. Lucy leaned against the counter, cherishing the bright atmosphere. Her thoughts had been so dark, that it seemed _vital _that she be with her energetic daughter, or she might've just lost herself within her own madness.

She sighed deeply, resting her head on the countertop. She aimed to take just a small nap, but she had a feeling that she would recall some memory instead.

**..O..**

_Lucy walked towards the Guild, grinning happily. Ember had been left in Mira's care, who volunteered to take the young girl out for a picnic. Although Lucy was hesitant, realizing that she was spending a little amount of time with her daughter, Ember begged and pleaded until she had no choice but to agree._

_Striding into the Guild, she was surprised when she felt a hand grab her bicep. Glancing to the side, she saw a girl with cascading blue-hair, who seemed to have a concerned look about something. The girl began dragging her out of the building, simply saying "Lucy-san, I need to discuss something with you."_

_They walked a few blocks down, till they reached one of the busy streets that lined Magnolia's buildings. Sitting on a bench, Wendy let go of her grip. Lucy rubbed the spot, sending a questioning gaze to the young female. She heard a sigh._

"_Lucy-san, I just wanted to know if you knew much about dragons."_

_Lucy's brow shot up. She thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Well, I know some basics about dragons. Why are you asking Wendy?"_

"_Because it might be the reason why your secret can be easily found out by both Natsu and Ember," she explained, pausing at the sharp gasp elicited from the older woman's lips. After a moment, Lucy composed herself and nodded, motioning for Wendy to continue. "Well, when dragon slayers... mate, a bond develops between the dragon slayer and his partner. With this bond, all others can tell that you are the dragon slayer's mate. Essentially, dragon slayers have the same concept as dragons when it comes to these matters."_

_Lucy contemplated the information. "This meaning..."_

"_If Natsu was a little bit smarter, he would've actually solved the mystery by now," she replied bluntly, which made Lucy splutter. "The bond makes each partner more sensitive of the other, if you can understand what I mean by that. It probably hasn't been as strong for the past few years because you've been fighting and trying to detach yourself from all ties with the Guild, which included Natsu."_

"_How did you –"_

"_But, that's only half of the story," she cut in swiftly. "The reason why Ember and Natsu seem so close is because the bond links a parent to their offspring as well. Ember also inherits a combination of both your scents, so that others would know whose offspring she actually is."_

"_So Ember has a bond with him that can't be unbroken and a combination of _mine _and _Natsu_'s scents. And that's why it would be easy for them to discover the secret?" she questioned, feeling thwarted by all of it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Wendy nod slowly._

"_Not to mention, Ember has a lot of Natsu's… _peculiar _traits," Wendy added, albeit amusedly. Her tone quickly changed for her last message. "You know that we all really want them to know their relationship, but I'm just telling you this as a warning, because you need to know Lucy…"_

_Lucy gulped, nodding. "Thank you Wendy, for telling me all this. It – It's helpful that you told me about this. Thank you."_

**..O..**

She was excited to see the bright surroundings around her. The sights, the smells, the sounds, the _tastes_ all amazed her. Hand in hand with her mother, she strolled around, taking in all that was around her. All the while, her mother chatted happily about information on the festival.

Seeing her mother so relaxed, with a _real _smile on her face made Ember beam. So, letting all her concerns go, she looked around with wide eyes. Once in a while, she would drag her mother to a stall selling cute little items. Many of the products sold were Fairy Tail oriented, which made her even happier.

"Hey Mama," Ember began, tugging on her mother's sleeve. Lucy tore her eyes away from the celestial trinkets of one stall and glanced at her. Ember looked around, almost suspiciously. "Nothing bad's gonna happen in this festival, right? Because, I heard Auntie Levy tell a story when some big guy named Laxus tried to take over, and you were turned to stone and –"

Lucy laughed, cutting Ember off. "Ember, honey, nothing bad is gonna happen, alright? The Harvest Festival is a time for us to have fun! So," she paused, ruffling the little girl's hair affectionately with her free hand. "I want you to have the most fun imaginable, alright?"

Ember stayed quiet for a moment, before giving a full-blown grin. "Alright Mommy! If you want me to have fun, then let's have fun together! Ah! Can we go to the rides Mommy?"

Lucy laughed and nodded, letting her daughter drag her off in some direction. Seeing her daughter so carefree eased her nerves about the event. For some odd reason, she had an ominous feeling ever since that morning, but kept silent. She didn't want to worry anyone.

Especially the little girl who was concerned about her to no end.

**..O..**

He saw them walking around, clearly enjoying their time in such a joyful event. He kept watch over them, feeling overprotective for reasons unbeknownst to him. Every time he saw a man leering at the woman, he felt jealousy pit up in his stomach.

But, he was still confused as to why he felt that way.

Ever since that day when Lucy had collapsed – when Ember had dreamed that she was with her father – something in him stirred. He didn't know why, but he felt as if there was something that he wasn't clearly seeing – something that he _didn't _know.

And it had something to do with that curious little girl.

So he wasn't as surprised as most would be when he suddenly found his feet walking of their own accord, in the direction the two females were headed. He didn't bother trying to stop, knowing that he really did want to spend some amount of time with them.

Though, he quickly stopped – and nearly fell flat on his face – when he saw a familiar, aggravating man walking towards them. He had a sickening smile on his face – one that he could tell was fake. The man walked up towards them, ruffling his hair playfully.

Gritting his teeth, he watched them interact. Ember seemed angry, glaring without mercy at the smiling man. He casually began talking with Lucy, who smiled brightly in his presence. Seeing her smile at him so kindly made his anger brew.

He heard a call of his name, and turned to see a white-haired beauty looking frantic. "Natsu! Where'd you run off to? You had me worried!"

He grinned, covering up his anger in a second. She looked at him skeptically, but dropped the case when he began walking to her. She reached her hand out, which he grabbed with his own. As she began leading him away in the opposite direction, he glanced back a moment.

_He _was still there, and the anger still wouldn't disappear as well.

**..O..**

Lisanna knew.

Oh… How much she knew.

She knew that she loved Natsu with all her heart. She knew that somewhere in his heart, he loved her as well. But then, she also knew that there was… _something_. She knew that there was something that drew him to Lucy like a moth to a flame, and it wasn't just platonic.

Knowing it made her seethe.

She knew jealousy was unbecoming of her. Jealousy was a horrible feeling, and she wondered whether Lucy felt it after all the times that Natsu wasn't with her. But, she couldn't help it when her jealousy would eat at her.

Like when she noticed Natsu leaving, headed in _her _direction.

She couldn't blame him. She couldn't blame him for missing his partner, especially when it was his fault that she had left. She couldn't blame him after all the pain that she imagined he felt; the frustration, the _regret_.

Even though she was understanding, she couldn't help her own bitter selfishness when she would see how happy he'd become at the mere _mention _of her name, or the affectionate glances that he would unconsciously toss her way.

She hated being _ignored_.

She realized the irony, wondering if this was Lucy's position six years ago.

But she wouldn't give up. She wouldn't run away like Lucy had. She would _fight _to keep her lover, whatever his feelings were.

And she wouldn't care about any consequences that it might bring.

**..O..**

It seemed too fun, too fun to be _real_.

The past days had come by her like a blur. The festival seemed amazing, with merriness going round all through the night. And her mother _did _participate in the Miss Fairy Tail contest, much to her delight. She had a distinct feeling that her mother might win, after the tidal wave of cheers after her performance.

But, what most excited her was the Fantasia parade, in which her mother and the entire Guild would be featured in.

To her chagrin, she _wasn't _allowed to participate in the event, after Master's strict words of 'not being a Fairy Tail mage' or something along those lines. Even after vehement arguments and temper tantrums, which only made everything _worse _really, they made a compromise that she'd be in the parade _next _year.

So, at present moment, she was watching her mother run around frantically, trying to find someone who might be willing to care for her while the parade is going on.

"Mama?" Ember asked, a sly smile on her face. "How about you just let me onto your float? That would make everything easier, no?"

Lucy stopped in her tracks and glared at her daughter. Pointing a warning finger at her, she replied. "Ember, we already discussed this, okay. You _cannot _be in this parade. You will be in the front watching alright? Now, do you have any ideas on who you might want to take care of you?"

She looked around, quickly spotting a tuft of pink hair peeking out over a mountain of boxes. She pointed a finger. "Mama! How about the pink – I mean, how about Uncle Natsu? I think this year, he's just helping to make the floats since Ojii-san told him he can't be in the parade. I think it was after some fight…"

Lucy glanced at Natsu, unsure whether or not to let the pair be close once again. She knew that the secret was almost out of the box, and was worried about what outcome may occur. But, at seeing Ember's hopeful gaze, she sighed. She walked over to the Dragon Slayer and tapped him on the shoulder, gaining his attention.

Seeing Lucy, he grinned. "Lucy! Wat'cha need?"

She scratched her cheek nervously. "Well… I'm going to be participating in the parade, and no-one will be able to take care of Ember while she's watching in the crowd. And I heard that after that... _incident_, you weren't going to be in the parade so I thought that I could just..."

He chuckled, startling her. "C'mon Lucy! You don't have to sound so nervous about it. I can definitely take care of her then! Now go practice! You _need _to be awesome when your float passes us, okay?"

She flashed him a grin, pulling him into a short-lived hug. "Thanks Natsu! I definitely owe you one, okay?"

He nodded, as she backed away sheepishly. She waved before walking back to her daughter, who looked ecstatic. He couldn't help his affectionate smile. Something about the two of them made him happy beyond words.

He didn't notice the heartbroken looking girl who stood silently a few feet from him, or the suspicious man who was grinning in a conniving manner.

**..O..**

He was waiting at the main corner; the spot that many people always tried to claim to get a good view of the floats as they passed. He was grinning, already knowing that it would be the best parade yet. People had already began camping out, finding as many good spots as they could.

No-one dared to go claim his spot, knowing that a mage like him may do something dangerous.

So he waited, and was pleasantly surprised when he saw a beautiful girl come out from the crowd, her eyes wandering around before halting at him. She smiled and walked up to him, bringing him into an embrace. "Guess what?"

He looked at her confusedly as she let him go. "What?"

The girl's smile widened even further, as she began dragging him away from the esteemed spot. "Master said that you're allowed to participate now! I convinced him of course. So you're gonna be on my float now! Isn't that great?"

His eyes widened, glancing back over his shoulder at the newly crowding spot. He looked back at the smiling girl uncertainly. "Wait! I promised Lucy that I'd take care of Ember," he stated, but it seemed that his words were lost in the crowd. "Lisanna!"

And as he was dragged away, a young mother with her daughter in her arms walked to the assigned meeting place, looking around frantically.

She was muttering under her breath, but even through the bustling crowds, Ember knew that she was talking about Natsu. Even she was a bit worried, knowing that the dragon slayer had said that he would meet them.

"Mama," she began, even though it may have been fruitless. "Don't worry, okay? Uncle should be here somewhere..."

Lucy tried to be comforting, but inside she was panicking. She knew that Natsu would never break a promise with _anyone_; why would he start with her? She looked to Ember, who seemed to be worried sick for her. Lucy bit her lip, knowing that she needed to take charge soon.

Ember peered at her, already knowing that her mother was already at wits' end. "Mommy..."

A cough from next to them made both females jump. Swiftly turning her heard, she saw a pair of familiar blue eyes that could entrance someone in a flash. She relaxed a moment, glad to see such a familiar face. "Nazo, what are you doing here?"

He smiled. "I'm not participating in the parade, after the... _fight_ with Natsu, and I heard rumors that this was the best place to watch the parade. What I am surprised is to find _you _here. Aren't you meant to be preparing?"

She bit her lip and nodded. "I am... But, I need to find Natsu, since he promised to take care of Ember during the parade."

Nazo glanced at the little girl, who had her arms folded stubbornly. A pout adorned her face. His gaze switched back to Lucy, who was looking at him desperately. "Lucy, if it would be alright with you, I can wait with Ember for Natsu."

Her eyes sparkled. "Really Nazo? Could you do that?"

He nodded, smiling demurely. "Why of course. Anything for my _partner_."

She smiled widely, whispering something in Ember's ear before dropping the little girl onto the ground next to Nazo. "Be a good girl, alright?" she said firmly, patting her daughter's head. "When I pass, I'm gonna look straight at you, okay? I'll see you soon."

Planting a parting kiss on the little girl's forehead, she jumped up and hugged Nazo briefly. After saying her farewell, she bounded off, leaving the guarded girl with the smiling man. He turned and crouched to meet her height.

"You wanna sit on my shoulders to get a view of the parade?" he asked kindly, He put a hand out, and she watched it cautiously. "You don't have to worry, alright? You can _trust _me..."

**..O..**

She was angry beyond words. How dare he? _How __**dare **__he_?

As she went back to where all the floats were pre-arranged, already in her night-themed costume, she saw him laughing around with Lisanna, carefree in all aspects. She was tempted to scream at him for breaking his promise, but knew that she had to take a mature approach.

She walked up to him, her face calm. He noticed her, and his eyes widened in fear. "Natsu, can I ask why you're here? I thought that after your... _fight_, you weren't allowed to participate in the parade anymore, or was I told wrong?"

He rubbed the back of his neck – a nervous habit. "Well... Lisanna told me that Master said I could participate so... Here I am!"

She clenched her hand tightly, the limp growing white. "Is that so? Well then, thank _you _for leaving me frantic and worried about my daughter. Now I know that I've left her with someone that I can _really trust_. Thank you for that."

Leaving him gob smacked, she walked away, trying to hide her forming tears. She finally believed that he could be trusted. She thought that he actually _cared _for Ember and her, but it was a mistake on her part.

"Lucy! Wait!"

He tried to call out to her, but it was too late. She had already put up her cheery facade, and she was not going to be deterred from the small happiness that she was granted. As Erza and Mira began shouting orders for them to get ready, she stepped onto her float, summoning as many Celestial Spirits as she could.

As he came out of the key, Loke watched her worriedly. He knew that she was already trying so hard to make life as easy as she could for her daughter, but in the process, she was running her own.

Lucy glanced at him and smiled weakly. Loke nodded, standing next to her as the float began to move. Sneakily as he could, he claimed her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. Though there seemed to be barely any change, he noted how Lucy began to calm down a tad.

Smiling, they entered the parade.

**..O..**

Lucy was excited. The entire parade, she was allowed to let her worries go. She was allowed to have _fun_.

She was approaching the corner, where her daughter would be watching, waiting for her to come. At the thought of seeing her daughter happy, her smile grew even wider. The lights, the sounds, the cheers; it was the perfect place for celebration.

It was also the perfect place for something to go wrong.

They were at the corner, and she looked at the exact spot that she had left Nazo and Ember earlier.

Her heart stopped when she saw an empty gap there.

All happiness stopped, as she began searching desperately in the crowds for her daughter's grinning face. Her spirits could sense something wrong and moved to approach her, but she didn't notice. All she cared about was finding Ember.

She knew that they would never leave unless _something __**happened**_.

Her efforts were futile, and she began shaking at all the thoughts she had of what could have happened. She began crying out her name, which brought all celebrations around her to a halt. It was like a domino effect, and as each float stopped, the cheering crowds grew silent.

They could only hear the desperate cries of a mother.

Hearing her voice filled with anguish, Natsu left Lisanna's side, hurrying towards Lucy's float. In what felt like no time at all, he landed on the star-themed float, his eyes wide for the blonde. She stopped in her actions, spinning on her heel to see him.

Before he could even tell, she had wrapped her arms around him, already burying her face into his chest. He felt a liquid pour from her eyes and froze.

"My Ember," she muttered, so only he could hear. "My Ember. I don't know where she is. I don't know... Sh – She's gone!"


	12. Her Uncontrollable Anger

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Again, you all never cease to blow me away. Per usual, thank you to the reviewers, the additions to their favorites and alerts lists or those who simply read it!

So… all of you could probably guess since his first appearance that Nazo would come out a bastard. No shock there then huh? Well, I do hope you enjoy this chapter! The next one will be more action-packed! Also, we're getting closer to the end, so stick tuned!

I forgot to add this in the last chapter, which I realized once it was posted. Shame… I now present to you all Chapter 11 of To What We Once Were

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><p><strong>Chapter 11 – Her Uncontrollable Anger<strong>

_Anger_.

Unfathomable anger.

She had passed the despair and anguish stage, and all she was left with was a fierce burning anger. Somewhere in her, murderous intent cried out for blood. He wasn't allowed to be spared. He was never going to be forgiven.

He had taken her daughter away.

And no-one could underestimate a mother's love.

**..O..**

They were already aboard a train, their destination familiar to Lucy. She had visited it before of course, with _him_. The small, eerie town that would give a person chills; how _unexpected _that it would be a town where a dark Guild would lurk.

A Guild that had something against her.

She was surrounded by her old team, sans Natsu and Lisanna, to no surprise. After Lucy had realized that her daughter was missing she remembered quite well that the first person that she had told was the fire-eating dragon slayer. But, she then recalled his foolish betrayal, and quickly backed away towards Loke.

They had searched hours after, trying to find her in every dangerous nook and cranny in the town. Their attempts were fruitless, no trace of the little girl ever being there with the exception of her items back in their apartment.

Closing her eyes, the memory of the meeting they held soon after that played like a movie.

**..O..**

_Her eyes were red, the tears that flowed from them stinging. She couldn't believe it. It couldn't have been real. It couldn't have _happened_._

_But it did._

_Her daughter was gone._

_And she knew full-well who they blame as the perpetrator._

_She could almost laugh at her stupidity. They had all warned her about it; her nakama. Whether silent or obvious, they _all _didn't trust him, yet she was foolhardy enough to. He had lulled her into a false sense of security. He had lulled her into _trusting _him._

_And where did that trust lead her to?_

_On a hunt for her kidnapped daughter; that's where._

_Master was standing on his place at the stair's banister, looking down upon his 'children'. All eyes were on Lucy, who was sitting at her usual spot, head bowed down in shame. To their surprise, Natsu was standing quite far away from her, also with his head bowed down. If anyone had seen him up close, they would have been startled by the look of complete concentration on his face._

_Makarov coughed, gaining their attention. Mouths shut and heads turned as they all obeyed his silent order. Master's eyes scanned the room, lingering on both Lucy and Natsu. "All of you will already know what has happened," he began, his tone even – though they all knew that he was trying to cover his rage. "And if you have not figured it out yet, it means that we fight."_

_Lucy looked up, taking off from her seat to look at them all pleadingly. "Please. Don't go into so much trouble. I'll find her. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of my poor judgment."_

_A small hand was placed on her shoulder, and Lucy glanced backwards to see a determined-looking Levy. "Lu-chan. Please stop telling us to not help. When someone that we all care for is in trouble, how can we not help you? And don't you remember what happens when a part of Fairy Tail is hurt?"_

_As the words sunk in, her eyes widened quickly, her gaze flaying around the room. All her nakama were smiling, already getting prepared for battle._

"_When a member of Fairy Tail is hurt, then all of us are hurt. So when a single member is attacked," Master began, his tone matching Levy's._

"_Then all of Fairy Tail will fight back," they all chorused, finishing the sentence. Moved by their conviction, her eyes blurred in fresh, grateful tears._

_She rubbed at her eyes, not wanting to look like a weakling in front of all the courageous people that stood in front of her. Her sniffling gone, she narrowed her eyes and nodded, clenching her right hand into a fist. A fiery grin lit her face. "If it's a fight with Fairy Tail they want, then it's a fight with Fairy Tail they'll get. No-one takes _my _Ember and gets away with it."_

**..O..**

There was a knock at the compartment door, which took Lucy out of her reverie. She stood up and opened it, meeting face to face with the one person that she hadn't wanted to see since that night.

"Lucy. Please. We need to talk," he stated, and she was somewhat surprised at his pleading tone. She dreaded the last four words, knowing that _nothing _well ever came out of it. She looked back at Erza, Gray and Happy – who had wanted to stay by her side. She knew that they all had mixed feelings, but at seeing Happy's encouraging smile, she turned back to him.

"We can talk outside."

He stepped to the side, giving her enough room to pass by him. She gave him no second glance, already heading down the carriage. She could feel his gaze burning into the back of head and was tempted to just stop in her tracks and shout at him for all he was worth. But, she kept composed as they entered an empty, isolated compartment.

As he slid the door shut behind them, she gave a heavy sigh and turned to meet his face.

Shocked she was to see grim determination on his face. Almost reverting back to her normal self, she took a cautious step forward, her hand stretched out. When her hand's touch barely gazed his shoulder, she felt him jolt. "Natsu…"

"Even though I can't say I don't like this, I remember you being thoroughly pissed at me a little while ago…" he murmured, his eyes hidden by his pink hair. Lucy retracted her hand, now feeling guarded against the man that could swing her emotions in a second.

"Why did you ask me here?" she asked, her voice sounding steely. He chuckled a bit, amused by her bluntness. When she narrowed her eyes, he stopped.

"I came here to apologize. You probably won't accept it, but it's worth a shot, right?" he asked, almost jokingly, feeling some relief when he saw gaze softening. His tone then changed to a serious one. "I'm really sorry about all this. If I hadn't just left, this might not have happened…"

Lucy bit her lip, finding the floor interesting. How could she reply? Yes, she was seething in her anger. Yes, she couldn't forgive _anyone _who might have taken part in the acts leading to the incident. But, she knew that because of her emotions, that she could never hold a grudge against him. Her feelings be damned.

"I accept your apology," she began, taking a pause to inhale a breath. "But, I don't think that I can forgive you _that_ easily Natsu."

And with that, she brushed past him, not bothering to look back to see his dumbfounded expression.

**..O..**

After what could have been seconds, minutes or hours; he left the compartment. He felt dazed, confused at the new assumptions he was making. Being so close with Lucy, actually _talking _to her, felt like something that he _needed_.

The jumbled mess that he could call his mind, like a puzzle, was slowly arranging itself… And, he was scared at what he might discover.

But he didn't want to show his fear, because he was _always _a pillar of strength to his nakama; and he knew, even if she says that he won't be forgiven, that he _needs_ to be there for her.

Lisanna shot him a questioning glance when he entered their compartment. They were originally meant to be staying with the team, but Erza and Gray had vehemently protested against, saying that it would be better for Lucy if he wasn't there.

He crumpled onto the plush seating, completely exhausted from thought. Where had all the good days gone? Where things were simple and he barely needed to think during the day; how he _actually _missed it. Lisanna shuffled, letting him lay his head on her lap, using it as a pillow.

"Hey," she began, threading her fingers into his hair. "You okay? You seem troubled. Is Wendy's Troia spell wearing off?"

He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to calm for a second before answering. "Don't worry. I'm fine. It's just…"

She smiled warmly, hoping that the mere action would make him loosen a bit. "You're troubled about all this, aren't you? I know that you were close with Ember, and now you're on edge about seeing her disappear. It's alright to be stressed because of that. But, they'll need you to feel better when they storm this place, right? So calm down a bit. Everything is going to go fine, and soon enough, everything will be all back to normal."

He tried to feel some type of comfort from her words. He only managed to calm a smidge, but thoughts of mysteries kept cropping into his mind, halting him from getting any sort of rest for the rest of the trip.

**..O..**

"They're coming as we speak. Just as planned. Unsurprising really, considering their stubbornness, don't you agree?" a man asked amusedly, his wicked grin reflecting his attitude. Another man, sitting in a lower chair merely nodded, taking a sip from a wine glass.

The room was considerably large, to the point that it was really a hall. It was magnificently lit, with chandeliers decorating the high ceiling every few feet. One could believe that they were in a royal palace, with the similar furniture and decoration to one. Though, they'd all be discouraged after seeing a shadow-manifested throne placed upon a raised dais.

The man sitting on the throne stood up, brushing away his ebony hair. He walked towards another odd piece in their glorious hall; a floating orb, purely made from shadow.

His grin never faltered when he approached the orb, peering into it as if it were simply glass. Inside, a girl was trapped, punching against the barrier to find a means of escape. Even though she was young, she looked so similar – almost identical – to _her _that he felt sadistic pleasure to see her in such a state.

"I commend you. To think that it was _that _easy to get within their ranks and accomplish this feat. I'm quite impressed by you, _Nazo_," the ebony-haired man stated, directing his words to the seated man. Nazo grinned and took another sip.

"I'm flattered, but compliments won't lower the price for this," Nazo replied, his tone bemused. "Though, it _was _easier than what I had originally expected. That _woman_, she was the easiest to fool. Though, surprisingly enough, it was her _daughter _that hated me the most. Oh. Not to mention her _father_."

The ebony-haired man chuckled. "Do tell about this girl's father, though I already have a hunch. And if I am correct, then…" he glanced at the little girl again, who was looking straight at him even though she could see nothing but darkness. "This girl will be a _valuable _asset. Layla Heartfilia, I wonder what you think will happen to your granddaughter now…"

**..O..**

The train pulled into a stop at the station. The Guild wanted to cause as little fuss as possible, but they were all anxious to get their matters settled; Lucy especially. Boarding off along with the few other passengers, they grouped at the entrance of the train station.

Erza spoke out first, taking charge. "Now, do we all remember the plan?" she asked, most nodding in reply. "For those who don't remember, we will be splitting off into teams exploring the town until we've found where they are keeping Ember. Others will be on the lookout for any enemies, got it?"

They all nodded once more, before marching onwards out the station. They all froze in their step when they saw a man standing in front of the town, as if protecting it from their siege. He ruffled his brown hair and walked forward, meeting with the blonde woman who stood petrified.

"I believe that plan will not work this time my dear _nakama_," he said, his voice as sly and cocky as ever remembered. The Fairy Tail members felt provoked, already preparing to attack the single man. Lucy quickly raised her arm up, halting them from committing any harm.

"What have you done with _my daughter_?"

Her tone was low, reflecting her anger. Nazo smirked, stepping closer to her. Their bodies were only inches apart, which aggravated her and her nakama – specially a specific dragon slayer. He tilted his head to look down on her, which made her feel inferior. Not wanting to show her weakness, she put on a hard façade.

"My dear _Lucy_," he began, his eyes flickering to the dragon slayer for a brief moment. "How wonderful to see your beautiful face once again. I do hope you forgive me after all this is resolved. We can return to having our friendly relationship, like before."

Something flashed in her eyes, as her hand made a dash to grip Nazo's bicep. She smiled, a charmingly fake one that reminded her of the ones she made six years before. "Nazo, I believe that I'll only be able to forgive you once hell _actually _freezes over. So until you see the devil wearing a winter coat, there is _no way _I'll forgive you for this. So I'm going to ask again; _what have you done with __**my daughter**_?"

He chuckled, which made her seethe. Her grip went tighter, just so that he remembered their conversation. He ceased his laughs, motioning his head to something behind them. Lucy's eyes slowly followed the direction, grip dropping immediately at the sight.

Behind Nazo, the entire town had disappeared, and in its stead, there laid… a labyrinth.

A shadow labyrinth.

"What in the hell?" they heard Gray question, the statement mirroring their view. The labyrinth seemed to be shrouded in total darkness, the walls made of swirling shadow. They heard a noise, and all turned to Lucy, said mage on her knees, quivering in fear.

The shadows – how they reminded her so much of the nightmare in the Guild. The labyrinth looked like where it took place. Flashes of the mysterious figure slashing her nakama down blared through her mind, making her cower and whimper.

"Lucy!" her nakama cried, those near her moving to help her. She raised an arm up again, her whimpers turning into shrieks of sheer pain.

"Please! Stay away from me! You all might get hurt!" she pleaded, her hands returning to her head. The nightmare began enveloping her, the pain searing through her body. She felt someone grab a hold of her arm, assisting her up. She tried fighting the grip, afraid that it was one of her friends that helped her.

A hand brushed her cheek. Opening her eyes, she saw Nazo, and the lack of distance between them. She felt too weak to fight him back, so she stayed in the position. She saw him smile, and wondered that if things had turned out differently, would she have given him a chance?

"Lucy," he murmured, almost affectionately. She noted that his face was gradually getting closer to hers. "Your daughter is somewhere in that labyrinth. Somewhere in that _darkness_. Do you think yourself brave enough to find her?"

Before she could reply, Nazo had closed the gap.

**..O..**

Darkness.

All she could see was darkness.

She was running, finally free from the orb. But, she couldn't see where the exit was. She couldn't see where the _light _was. She was afraid of those who had captured her. She was afraid of going back. She was afraid of not seeing her mother anymore.

She stopped and fell to her knees, her sniffles morphing into desperate cries.

"Mama! Mama! Please find me! Please!" she called out, a flicker of hope telling her that someone will find her. She sat in a ball, hugging her knees. She was so frightened. "Mama… D – Dada… Please find me…"


	13. Enter the Warzone

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

We've reached over 200 reviews... Over 200 reviews! You... All of you are just... Gah! How can you all be so nice? Thank you once more to everyone who reviewed, those who added this to their favorites and alerts lists, and read! I just can't thank you enough!

This is _one hell _of a chapter. Probably the longest that I've posted up. Well, it is action galore! It was also meant to be originally longer, but I thought that I should stop myself before I let this grow even further.

Also, when I make reference to 'shadow creatures', think of the Heartless from Kingdom Hearts. It is _exactly _how I picture them to look.

I now present to you Chapter 12 of To What We Once Were!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12 – Enter the Warzone<strong>

It was a second too late when she realized what was happening. As she felt a pair of lips claim her own, the darkness from the labyrinth grew, as if it had a mind of its own, shrouding her nakama. Her eyes went wide with panic, as she forcefully tried to push away from the man who confused her to no end.

They parted, Lucy desperate for the air. The kiss had tasted bitter, not pleasant in the least. Her Guild was crying out, all of them being swallowed up by the never-ending darkness. She saw a flash of pink and saw Natsu trying to run to her, but the shadows were gaining on him. "Lucy!"

She tried to stand steady, her hand reaching out to grab his outstretched one. "Natsu!"

The barest of touches, and Natsu had been captured by the darkness. She cried out, in disbelief that all her nakama was gone. She turned her head to meet Nazo's challenging gaze, as the darkness began sweeping her up as well. "What is this?"

He chuckled, the sound echoing as the sight of him vanished. "_This_? Why this is the beginning of your _end _Lucy."

**..O..**

Light appeared like a foreign entity to her, even though she had only been swallowed by that darkness for a second. She found herself in a brightly-lit hall, one that reminded her of some that she'd seen in her high-society past. In contrast to those times, the hall was barren of any human figure, lest a single one standing in front of a striking shadow throne.

The man stepped down from the dais, striding over to her. He emanated an aura of intense power. She looked to his feet, where the darkness pooled and manifested like his own nightmarish pet. As he approached, she looked behind her, hope rising when she saw the grand mahogany archway.

"It's no use my dear. That doorway will only lead you to my labyrinth. I venture a guess and say that you _wouldn't _want to be in there," a crude voice spoke out. She looked back to see the man closer than she had estimated. Shoulder-length black hair fell down limply, and his smirk seemed permanently etched onto his face. His golden-eyes seemed to pierce through her, making her feel uncomfortable.

"And how can you presume that?" she asked, trying to fill her voice with conviction. Only then would she convince herself that she has enough courage to venture into the maze. "My _daughter _is somewhere in there. You _really _expect me not to enter and try to find her?"

He chuckled. "Then if so, why are you still here? Shouldn't you have gone by now?" he asked, his reasoning pointing out her flaw. Her brown eyes widened, showing a hint of fear. "Ah. Now I realize. You're _afraid _of the darkness, aren't you? Yet, a mother's love defies all that doesn't it? Fear not, for your daughter will make her way to us soon enough."

She grit her teeth, trying to grasp some rational thought at what move she should make next. "Who are you?" she growled, her voice sounding dangerously low.

Another chuckle rang from him; a low smooth sound. He moved towards her, reaching out a hand to caress her cheek. She flinched back, defensive against whatever he might attempt to do. "The spitting image of _her_. You obtained her personality and traits. Wonderful! It is as if I'm seeing _her _in the flesh. My dear _Lucy_, do you know of the striking resemblance between you and your _mother_?"

The fear that surged through her was replaced with her earlier rage. She narrowed her eyes at the man, standing straight to gain strength. "How do you know my name? And more so, how do you know my _mother_?"

He retracted his arm from her face, noticing her newfound aggression. He spun on his heel and began walking back to his throne. All the while, her eyes burned through the back of his skull. "I guess that you charm many men of their feet, don't you Lucy? Your mother was the same back when I knew her."

"You knew her?" she asked, though it was more rhetorical than not.

"Why of course!" he stated, as if the answer was clearly obvious. "We were in the same Guild: Love & Lucky. That was during a time when your father had yet to come and sweep her off her feet. Like the rest of the boys then, I too fell for your mother. Though, I knew that my attraction for her ran deeper than the rest. At our first meeting, I had fallen in love."

She fought the urge to gag as she stayed silent, her fingers straying to the set of keys that were attached to her belt. "You had fallen in love with my mother. Though, I can't blame her for not choosing _you_."

Something shot out from under him. She gasped at the feeling of something cool wrap around her leg. Looking down, she saw _solid _shadow twist its way around her limb.

The man looked at her challengingly. "Feisty soul, aren't you? Continuing on with my story. I had lain years in wait, gradually building up a friendly relationship with her. Even after your father had joined us, I still maintained our friendship. A month before her birthday, I had taken a mission. I was due to return the day of her 18th birthday. As I returned, I remember fiddling with a velvet case in my pocket. Can you fit the pieces together yet?"

She stayed mute, her lips drawn into a thin line.

"Although I take that as a yes, I'll still elaborate. So there I was, entering the Guild, ready to propose to that beautiful woman. Then, I heard cheering. Your mother in _his _arms. The flash of a jewel on her left ring finger. As the realization struck me, I ran, abandoning and cutting all ties with the Guild and your mother. Yet, none of these... _horrid _feelings had ever gone away, even after she had passed."

"And you want me now because...?" Lucy asked bitterly. She heard the stop of footsteps, and saw the man turn her direction.

"Your mother caused me pain for the rest of my days Lucy Heartfilia. When I had heard that she had a daughter, one that was her carbon copy, I knew what I could do. To repay for the pain that she had caused me, I'll let you pay for it tenfold!"

She whipped out one of her keys, fortunate to have it be a golden one. Recognizing the symbol immediately, she cried out. "Open the Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!"

A bright light appeared in the middle of the dueling mages, and a tall, lanky man wearing a horse costume appeared, hand raised in a salute. "Moshi moshi. Lucy-dono! I swear that I will protect you from this man!"

He pulled out at least a dozen arrows at an incredible speed, aiming them for the man's head. Lucy grabbed her Fleuve d'étoiles and rushed at the man, at the same time that Sagittarius launched his volley.

The man laughed, the sound haunting as it echoed through the great room. A manic look was in his eyes as the swirling cesspool of darkness grew larger, some of it becoming solid, sharp objects, aimed directly at them. "Remember the name Kuro my dear, because it's to whom you'll be begging for mercy soon enough!"

**..O..**

Ember ran, afraid of those who were chasing her. They couldn't have been real. They just _couldn't_. The beings, they were _true _creatures of the darkness; human manifestations of it, wielding ebony-black weapons that glinted, although there was no light near them.

Her mother. She had a feeling that her mother was close. But, she didn't know where. All she could do was keep running, even though she was short of breath and her lungs burned in pain. She couldn't give up. She had to find her mother.

The creatures were gaining on her. As she became dizzy, she stumbled, falling to her knees. She could hear the creatures' collected cackles, and shuddered at the thought of what they might do to her. "Mama..."

"_Water Lock_!" a feminine voice cried out from behind the shadow monsters. Ember recognized the voice, snapping her head up in the hope to see a familiar face. There, standing tall and dominant was Juvia, who seemed concentrated on sending the creatures to a watery grave. After a few moments trapped in Juvia's hold, the creatures dissipated. Ember immediately calmed and ran up to the older woman.

"Mama Juvia! You came to save me! Does that mean that all of Fairy Tail is here? Is my Mama here?" Ember impatiently asked, desperate to know some answers.

Juvia scooped the little girl up into her arms, carrying her affectionately. "Ember! Good, you're safe... Yes, all of Fairy Tail is here, though Juvia is unsure what had happened. Everyone was spilt, and now they're scattered in this maze. Your Mama is here as well, but again, Juvia doesn't know where she is."

Ember's excited expression disappeared in an instant. "Oh... How about we find everyone, so that we can defeat the bad guys together!"

Juvia nodded, and began walking down the direction the creatures came from. "Ember, Juvia wants to ask, who are the bad guys?"

Ember shuddered a bit, snuggling closer to the water mage. "The bad guys are evil. Very, _very _evil. There's those shadow-thingies which were chasing me then. I think there were some other bad mages as well... And then there's also Mama's old partner. But the worst one is the shadow guy. He's the one who made all this!"

Juvia's eyes increased widely, as she looked at their surroundings. The sky was a dark shade of gray, but it made whichever path one would take in the labyrinth distinct. Though, if one didn't concentrate hard enough, or was trapped for a while, they wouldn't be able to distinguish where they were going. That made fighting the creatures even harder. "The shadow guy... Juvia has a feeling that this man is very dangerous."

**..O..**

The anger that was within him thrashed, wanting to burst out of its tight holds. Natsu tried to control it, not wanting to suddenly explode in a fit of range. Though, from all that he's seen and heard, it was difficult enough to be level-headed about the situation.

He was so close to her, yet that didn't stop their old 'ally' from planting a kiss on her lips. The scene was enough to make Natsu want to see him burn into tiny, insignificant ashes. Then, as he tried to grab her, he was eaten by the darkness. No less than a second later, and he found himself in a dome like area. The ground was a dark tint of gray, and the barrier that surrounded him was of the darkest black. There were gaps in the barrier, but when he attempted to pass them, there appeared to be an invisible wall blocking his escape.

Then, he heard screaming. Horrible pain-wrought screaming. He recalled hearing the screams before, blood running cold at the memory.

"Do you enjoy hearing her screams Salamander?" a loathsome voice questioned. "Those wonderful screams that echoed in the Guild that day; aren't they simply _melodious _to your ears?"

Natsu clenched his fist tightly, the knuckles paling. The anger thrashed once again, and he could already tell that the chains keeping it together would not be able to withstand much longer. "Melodious? You consider _this_ melodious? Well, you must have a sick sense for music, because all I hear is one of my nakama screaming her heart out in pain."

Nazo chuckled. "Such a pity that you're dense. If you had been smarter, it would have been _so _easy for you to understand why you're angrier now than if any of your other nakama were hurt like this. I do believe that this is wonderful background music for what will come next," Natsu raised a brow up questioningly. "Natsu, how about a rematch of this day in the Guild? We never managed to finish, did we?"

Narrowing his eyes, he punched his right fist into his palm. Fire exploded between the two limbs. Natsu grinned menacingly, determined to win. "Letting one of my closest nakama get hurt. _Kidnapping _an innocent little girl. _I'm all fired up_!"

Nazo smirked, raising his hands up like a command. Out of the ground, ghastly-looking shadow creatures emerged. At least three dozen came rising out under his control. Nazo began laughing heinously. "You think that you can beat me this time Natsu? With what I've got in store, you don't stand a chance!"

**..O..**

She decided that she hated those who chuckled at her demise.

Sagittarius had fallen, asking for forgiveness before he was lost in the Stellar Spirit World. Her whip was wrapped around her enemy's forearm, though that didn't stop him from his constant wave of attacks. Only one with a large amount of stamina could continue at the rate they were fighting at.

Panting, she took two of her keys, both golden. With as loud of a voice that she could muster, she shouted. "Open the Gate of the Goat! Capricorn! Open the Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!"

At the same time, two spirits came out, both in battle-ready stances. A flash of recognition shone in Kuro's eyes at the sight of an old acquaintance. "Capricorn! Lovely to see you once again! I do believe that it's been too long since we've last talked! That was back in Love & Lucky correct? I don't know whether or not to consider it surprising to find you in Lucy's possession."

Capricorn growled, cracking his knuckles. "One will not hurt Lucy under our watch. You are _painfully _mistaken when you say that you will return back the pain that Layla had unintentionally caused you."

Kuro grinned, waving a hand. Around them, Lacrima-Vision began to appear, each showing a scene. Lucy gasped when she recognized each and every single person running or fighting. "I thought that this might spice things up, don't you agree? It's always good to make note of wherever your Guild mates are. Now you can see each and every one of them in my maze. Most of them are headed for a single area; _here_. With the single exception of," he pointed to the screen closest to Lucy, where she saw two undeniably familiar mages facing off in an arena-like setting. "Those two... It seemed that Nazo wanted to settle matters in his own hands. Seeing as he's not a part of my Guild, I had no control over what he would do, though I did give him... a _power-up _so to speak."

Lucy's eyebrows rose. "Not part of your Guild?"

"The man's an independent mage. What you could call a _mercenary_. I gave him a job, which was to lure _you _here, and he managed it successfully. He also gave me the chance to examine your _daughter_," Lucy's breath hitched, her grip on the whip tightening. "She'll grow up to look like you. Though, I sense that she has more magical power than the average mage. But, once Nazo had told me the story of her parentage, I understood immediately! When this battle is done, and I have _you_, I'll also obtain your daughter. And then, I'll have use of a Stellar Spirit mage _and _the offspring of said mage _and_ a Dragon Slayer."

"No way in _hell _am I letting you lay as much as a _finger _on my daughter!" she snarled out. "Capricorn! Virgo! Go get him!"

Both stellar spirits smirked, launching themselves to attack. Virgo placed her hands on the marble floor, a bright light erupting from her hands. Jagged pieces of rocks flew into the sky, all aimed for Kuro. Capricorn ran from behind her and unleashed a series of melee attacks which would be able to leave a victim incapacitated for days. Lucy pulled at the whip's hold on him, setting him free for only a moment before she launched for another strike.

The man's chuckle morphed into something that could be more considered as a cackle. The ground quaked, making Lucy lose her footing, and up rose beings that only belonged in the blackest parts of nightmares. They were haunted looking creatures, their entire bodies cloaked in black. On the ground because of the tremor, Lucy tried not to let fear overwhelm her as the monsters approached.

Flashing another two golden keys at Kuro, she wearily stood back up, crying out in a loud voice. "Open the Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio! Open the Gate of the Bull! Taurus!"

A tan, lean man appeared from the gate, already down on four limbs. A humanoid appeared out of another, wielding his axe for battle. They both didn't bother greeting Lucy, knowing that the situation could rapidly become dire. Grinning, Scorpio aimed his tail while Taurus started running. Simultaneously, they both shouted. "We are not letting you harm Lucy! _Sandstorm Axe Aldebaran_!"

Sand shot out of his stinger, heading directly for Taurus' awaiting axe. Taurus then began to spin his weapon, the sand turning into typhoons, before aiming directly at Kuro. Taurus ran, clasping the axe in both hands, ready to slice Kuro. With their combined power, the man would not be able to withstand it. The bull would not miss for the life of him.

Through the winds from the sandstorm, Lucy heard the echoing cackle once more, and froze up when she felt something _cool _run down her spine. Her other spirits turned to their master, confused as to what had happened in the single moment. They were all dumbfounded by what they saw.

Around Lucy's waist, an arm wrapped itself around her. Foolishly, she let go of her grasp on the whip. What _were his powers_? How had he escaped Taurus and Scorpio's combined attack? She saw Taurus bow his head down in shame. The man behind her cocked his head to the side, not at all fazed by their angry expressions. Lucy hissed and tried to pry him off, but to no avail. Kuro whispered in a low voice. "Is that _really _the best you can do to me?"

She struggled, but his grip on her was too tight. Tight enough that she knew he would leave marks even through the clothing.

"I suggest that you back away from her, _or else_," a low female voice called out from behind them. Kuro turned his head, smirking widely at their new company. Lucy struggled even more, wanting to fight against the man who kept a hold on her.

"What do we have here? A visit from the famed Titania, Fernandes and a few others from that _lowly_ Guild. Oh! I do believe that I see your dear Master Makarov there too. This means that you've come past my little minions have you? Look Lucy dear, your cavalry have arrived! Though it seems that the rest of them have fallen in their journey here."

"Let Lucy _go_," Gray spoke out, cracking his knuckles. The few Guild mates that she could tell were there growled in response to how lightly Kuro was taking it. Kuro turned full-body towards them, showing off Lucy.

"Why should I let her go? None of you weren't meant to get involved in this really," he stated breezily, waving his free hand. As he spoke, beings rose out from the ground once more, but instead of deformed creatures; they were fearsome looking mages, all with a bloodthirsty look in their eyes. Their numbers equaled, and possibly exceeded, the amount of people there were in Fairy Tail. Kuro brought his lips close to her ear. "How does it feel knowing that it was _you _who brought your Guild mates to danger, _Lucy_?"

She bit her bottom lip, trying to conjure up an escape. She knew that she was weakening, but the thought led her to the realization that her _spirits were still there_. Time around her slowed as chaos burst out between the two sides. Mages were charging at each other, bellowing battle cries. She summoned her strength to spin Kuro and her around, ducking at the precise moment that Capricorn gave a forceful right hook.

The man let her go, and she rolled away as Capricorn and Taurus presented their top-notch hand-to-hand combat skills. Blow after blow was dealt. Kicks and punches against the man. She saw that her nakama fighting, some to the full extent of their powers.

Flashing lights and excruciatingly loud sounds swirled all around. The smell of smoke and blood went through the air. Everything was crumbling before them. The hall was a battleground. Mage against mage; each of them seemed to be fighting to the death. They showed no mercy. Kuro's words rung through her mind. _'... knowing it was __**you**__ who brought your Guild mates to danger...'_

She looked up, annoyed at the exceedingly bright light given by the chandeliers. She heard that _despicable _chuckle. Looking back, she saw Kuro lying on the ground under the mercy of her unforgiving spirits. He lifted his hands up, giving her a look that screamed 'do you understand now?'.

Her mouth formed an 'o' as she began calling on her nakama to aim for the lights. No-one had heard her, all of them too concentrated on their battles. Sooner than she had imagined, new creatures came from the ground, even worse than those that had come before.

They had originated from her nakama's shadows.

Hideous, deformed copies of _all _of them. And she could guess that they matched their powers as well.

She whirled around to see her own shadow double ready to strike her. Not wanting to be a victim yet, she elbowed the carbon copy, finally glad that her weakness accounted for something. The copy fell to the ground, too dazed to stand back up.

Lucy heard the cries of defeat, and saw her nakama being struck and slain down one by one, many from their own darker selves. The memory of the nightmare flashed in her mind again, as she saw how horrifyingly similar the two incidents were. Some of the stronger mages, such as Gray and Erza, were battling quite well with their shadow. Master had grown large in an attempt to fend off his 'children's' shadows.

But with the combined forces of the shadow minions, the dark mages and their shadow copies, she knew that they weren't going to last long.

The enemy mages weren't affected, and she noticed how each of them had no shadow under their feet. Coming to the assumption that it was _all _planned by Kuro, something in her cried for revenge. She twisted round to face him. Anger was immediately replaced with shock. She screamed, stricken at seeing her spirits fighting against their own shadow copies. Kuro was standing up on a pile of rubble, a controlling aura surrounding him as he looked down upon all of the fighters.

A desolate war ground. That was what she had led those she cared for into.

But a single, grief-filled voice, which flew over each battle, shook her to her very core.

"_MAMA_!"

**..O..**

"_Fire Dragon's Iron Fist_!" he cried out, trying to let his move directly impact against his foe. Nazo simply laughed, using the shadows as a shield. "You're a coward! Using shields instead of fighting me head on!"

Nazo resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He then smirked, motioning his left hand as if he were calling for something. Out of the earth came a lacrima, which Natsu recognized as Lacrima-Vision. The Dragon Slayer looked to Nazo confusedly. "I believe that this is needed to... _stimulate _our battle."

The lacrima blared on, and Natsu nearly lost control at the scene that greeted him. His nakama; so many of them lay on the floor. Standing were the enemy and... _shadows _of his Guild mates. The man who he believed to be the Guild master stood on top of rubble, and he clenched his tight fist even more so when he saw Lucy's sprits entering their gates. Said woman was standing at the man's fists, glaring up at him in pure hate.

But the hate had wiped off instantly at the feeble cry that everyone had probably heard. The lacrima tuned in upon a little girl standing with Juvia, looking fearful at the scene before them. Both girls looked like they were about to burst into tears at the amount of injured allies.

"How do you feel now?" Nazo taunted, circling the fire mage. "Fighting here, _alone _in this arena. Your _beloved's _screams in our background," Natsu flinched at the word 'beloved', though didn't do anything to object the claim, something deep in him halting him before he could say a word. "Not denying it I see... Now, your nakama have fallen one by one, and there is _nothing _that you can do about it. So, how do you feel?"

Natsu scowled, setting his entire body in burning flame. "I feel about ready to _beat your ass _so that I can get out of here and save all of them."

Nazo laughed, calling upon more of those shadow creatures to assist him. "Wonderful! I say, let the real battle begin!"

Natsu cried out and began charging, as Nazo unleashed the wave of shadow upon the man. An earth-shaking explosion followed the collision. Nazo staggered from the impact. He heard Natsu roar, the intimidating sound bringing to mind the mighty creature – _dragons_.

Natsu stepped forward from the dissipating shadow, and Nazo's face was brought into a hard expression. Natsu wiped his mouth, his eyes conveying no trace of regret for what he would do. "Prepare to lose _traitor_," he spat, letting out a feral growl. "Daring to hurt my Guild, I won't show _any_ mercy."


	14. Unleash Their Power

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

I think I've been too hard on Lucy... That's an understatement, especially in what you're about to be reading.

First off, I thank all of you once more for everything! The reviews, additions to favorites or alerts lists and the hits! It truly means a lot to me. To see how far we've gone with this story... It makes me teary actually.

This chapter... Ah... More action? I guess so. Err... Enjoy?

I now present to you Chapter 13 of To What We Once were!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13 – Unleash Their Power<strong>

Ember couldn't believe her eyes.

She could feel Juvia trembling behind her. She couldn't blame the older woman though. She was about ready to burst into tears at the sight.

The hall was filled with smoke from the destruction. Many of the mages that she _knew _were strong lay on the ground, struggling to stand with bated breath. Some of the even stronger ones were still fighting though, but with the ratio between enemies and them, it seemed that they were fated for tragedy.

Her mother was doubled over, looking at her in shock. The evil man was standing above everyone, looking down upon all of them as if they were the peasants – he was their king.

"_MAMA_!" she called out, trying to fight Juvia's sudden grip on her. She needed to go to her mother. She needed to help everyone. Even though she was only a little girl, she had to do something.

The evil man caught her eye and she froze. She was afraid at what he might do to her – what he might do to her _mother_. As the man began his approach, she was engulfed in a mysterious yet familiar substance, her view of the outside disappearing in a flash.

**..O..**

A new conviction burned in Lucy at the sight of her daughter. She knew that Kuro would take her daughter if she had fallen, and she would do _anything _to prevent it from happening.

Juvia seemed to think in a like mindset as her. The water woman hugged her daughter, letting the little girl be his within her body. At the time being, she knew that it was the only that her daughter would be kept safe.

She whipped out three more keys from her belt. She didn't care whether or not she was on the verge of collapse. The adrenalin pumped through her, surging her to keep going forward. "Open the Gate of the Crab! Cancer! Open the Gate of the Ram! Aries! Open the Gate of the Lion! Leo!"

The three spirits she summoned were all rearing for battle. She looked at all of them to make sure that they'd be alright. They gave her affirming nods. "Aries, go to Juvia and Ember and create a wool shield! Loke, Cancer, _kick his ass_!"

She doubled over once again, trying to catch her breath. The amount of magical power that she was using might just kill her. The spirits all exchanged glances, but followed her earlier instruction. Aries began running, creating a series of 'wool bombs' so that she could manage to get to Juvia safely.

"_Lion Brilliance_!" Loke cried out, positioning himself into the stance. A bright, blinding light erupted from him, making Kuro flinch away. Cancer, unaffected by the move, rushed forward, scissors in hand, ready to strike.

A hiss of pain.

The bright flash was gone, and Lucy looked at her foe, wide-eyed at the meager scratch that managed to land on his forearm. She grinned proudly, turning to thank her spirits when she saw it. Her heart froze.

A sharp solid shadow, piercing through Aries' barrier.

She heard a cry of distress from Loke, as the wool wall vanished in an instant. It revealed Aries, she too slowly vanishing as a shadow blade extracted itself from her. The spirit smiled apologetically to her allies before disappearing entirely.

A beastly roar, and Lucy whirled round to see Loke charging at Kuro, arm raised and ready to unleash his strongest attack. "_Regulus Impact_!"

The head of a lion burst out, its teeth bared and direction aimed straight for Kuro. The man spun around, conjuring a pitch-black wall, which blocked the move. Loke roared once more, ready to just simply use hand-to-hand combat to kill.

Kuro chuckled and summoned up another batch of shadow creatures, all of them rushing forward to incapacitate the Lion.

"Loke!" Lucy cried out, desperate not to see one of her strongest spirits get hurt. She saw Cancer trying to fend off the Shadow Demon mages, but there seemed to be too many.

Then she saw him. Kuro was striding towards Juvia, seemingly without a care. The few Guild mates that still stood couldn't help, and only looked upon with stricken faces as they tried to fend off the mages and shadows.

Juvia was standing, ready to fight. Though she was faltering, at the sight of the shadow Gray approaching along with Kuro. Juvia knew that she could fight against the leader, but against her love, even if it's not actually him, she mightn't be able to fight.

Lucy knew that Kuro thought it all a game. A _sick _game, which only brought pain to her nakama.

And she was the catalyst for their pain.

The entire situation seemed so similar to the Phantom Lord incident, where their building – their _home_ - was destroyed because they wanted _her_.

Kuro and Juvia had begun battling, and seemed to be an equal match to each other. But Lucy knew that with Ember in Juvia's body, the water mage wouldn't be as sufficient when attacking.

_Ember_. Her daughter was there. Her daughter was in the fight. Her daughter was in _danger _because of _her_.

Something surged within her – a burning sensation. _Magic_. She then froze, before collapsing onto the crumbled ground before her.

**..O..**

He was losing more control over sanity. His rage was burning in him like a furnace. Something in him wanted to take upon his animalistic characteristics – to become more like a dragon than fully capable. He knew that if he did, there may have been a chance that he could actually _kill _the man in front of him.

Although, it didn't seem like a bad option, considering whom he was fighting against.

Natsu ran around the arena, dodging every single shadow blade that tried to strike him down as he passed. Nazo was standing in the middle, arms folded, looking extremely calm about the situation. Lucy's screams in the background had died out, but he could still hear fighting going on from the Lacrima-Vision Nazo had summoned earlier.

He heard a chuckle. The onslaught of shadow had paused, as Nazo turned to look at the screen. Natsu did the same, and the raging beast in him went berserk once more.

The lacrima had zoomed in upon a single woman, at the precise moment that she fell to the ground. Her chocolate-brown eyes had rolled to the top of her head before they closed. There were no critical wounds on her, but Natsu could guess that she had exhausted herself from the amount of spirits she had called out. Even then, his anger would not cease.

The man that he assumed was the boss was fighting against Juvia. The shadow form of that stupid exhibitionist was fighting against her as well. Some other of his nakama were helping Master defeat the shadows. He knew that Master could have easily used Fairy Law or some type of powerful move to defeat all of them.

Until he realized the major setback. Even though they were shadows, they looked like his nakama. They _were _his nakama, in a sense. Master would never dare hurt anyone of them. Meaning, he'd simply have to use brute force to defeat all of them, since they were still a part of the Fairy Tail members.

Natsu noticed the small girl missing, his heart nearly skipping a beat when he did. But when he noticed how slow Juvia's movements were, he presumed that the little girl was in her body, protected from all the attacks that would've scarred her.

"Enjoying the show?" Nazo asked snidely, drawing Natsu's attention towards him. "Lacrimas are a handy tool, don't you think? You can see your nakama fall down one by one, and your enemies can gain wonderful powers from them."

Natsu grit his teeth. "And that's probably why all these shadows were popping up in our fight."

"Correct Dragon Slayer. Infusion with a Shadow Lacrima. Amazing thing magic is. It makes you stronger, and it's also what leads you to your demise!"

Nazo put forward his hands, new shadow creatures rising up to his command. Natsu released a battle cry and surged forward, hands blazing with burning hot fire. His knuckles met with each creature that his foe had made. He could see the snarky smirk wipe off his face, replaced with a determined scowl.

Knowing the level of seriousness in their battle pushed him to fight harder.

Natsu ran towards Nazo, aiming to let one of his punches land on any inch of the man's body. Nazo ducked and rolled over, sticking his leg out to trip the Dragon Slayer. Natsu had fallen for the trap, ending up face first onto the ground. He felt his leg be yanked up, and he was then tossed to the other side of the arena. He landed against side, and from the searing pain that originated there, he guessed that some of his ribs had broken.

Growling, he set his whole body aflame and knelt on one knee, ready to attack once more. Nazo's scowl deepened, the mage trying to catch his breath from the amount of magical power he exhausted. He knew that if he ran out of power, he was nothing but raw meat for the Dragon Slayer that he was fighting against.

Natsu roared out and began running, ready to hit his enemy with all the power that he had. He would show no mercy for anyone who dare attacked his Guild on purpose.

Rushing forward, he tackled the enemy mage to the ground, burning him because of his body. Nazo scowled and concentrated his power once more, managing to launch the fire mage into the air, as if he were held by an invisible piece of string.

Seeing the pathetic Dragon Slayer at his mercy – he relished the feeling. But, just before he would throw the piece of trash -

A woman's loud cry cut him off.

Both men turned to face the screen, which was showing the blue-haired water mage down for the count, at the mercy of Gray's shadow, who was grinning menacingly. Juvia was barely conscious, staring at her attacker with a heartbroken look.

His other nakama were still fighting restlessly - relentlessly, though were on their final gauges for magical power. He could see many of them crouching down, trying to catch their breath as their shadow counterparts and more mages kept coming to fight them. The wave seemed endless.

And Ember. It seemed that Juvia had let her out of her body beforehand, so the little girl was standing at the entrance to the hall. The leader was quickly approaching her, a victorious spring in his step. Ember looked very afraid, her eyes forming frightened tears. Something tore up Natsu at the sight.

"Open Gate of the Clock! Horologium!"

**..O..**

The clock spirit appeared directly in front of Ember. Surprising the little girl, she was placed inside, safe from any harm that would come to her. She banged the inside of him, needing to see what had happened to the summoner of the spirit.

The little girl's eyes widened in utter shock.

A bright, heavenly glow was what most saw.

A figure appeared from behind a wall of smoke. The rubble of the fractured room surrounded her, along with the smoke. A glow shone from that direction as well. Everything near her swirled at a high velocity. It was a collection of immense magical power.

The environment around them changed. It changed into the universe. The entire universe, and all it stars, surrounded them. Every enemy that was there was swept into the world – the allies watching from beyond a point where they wouldn't get hurt.

Orbs of light materialized around them. Different colors – the manifestation of a rainbow. Eyes went around, mystified by what they were in. Their attention was drawn to the woman whom had an ethereal, unworldly glow about her.

She was a goddess – a goddess from an entirely different world.

_Survey the Heaven, Open the Heaven...  
>All the stars, far and wide<br>Show me thy appearance...  
>With such shine.<br>O Tetrabiblos...  
>I am the ruler of the stars...<br>Aspect became complete...  
>Open thy malevolent gate...<em>

Kuro laughed like a maniac, absorbed by the terror and beauty of the summoner. "Beautiful! Lucy Heartfilia, you are truly as beautiful as your mother once was!" he cried out, sounding quite delusional. The other mages that followed him were still captivated, and also confused, by what was happening.

Lucy seemed to float off the ground, as the light that surrounded her shone with more ferocity. The rubble and smoke that swirled around her like a vortex spun quicker and more dangerously. No person was capable of piercing her shield.

Her eyes were closed, her voice coming out with a more haunting atmosphere, as if it were echoed in its hundreds. All that anyone who was trapped could see and hear was simply her and the heavenly bodies.

_O 88 Stars of heaven...  
>Shine!<em>

Her eyes opened, and instead of its warm brown, a golden symbol was what appeared. The victims all became paralyzed in fear as she cried out in a loud voice.

_**Urano Metria!**_

The bright light that surrounded her was blinding. The orbs began growing to an immeasurable size, as those who were trapped began screaming for the life of them. One could still hear Kuro's insane laughter, as those from Fairy Tail watched in awe at the safe distance.

A loud explosion shook the room, as each orb set off in perfect harmony with each other. There were cries of pain and horror as the orbs hurt all of them. No-one could utter a single word, too awed and afraid of the calamity made.

Lucy was let down gently. Her blank orbs filled with color, as she looked at the state of the enemy around them. The defeated shadows all disappeared, while her Guild mates' shadow counterparts returned to their bodies. The Shadow Demon mages were sprawled around groaning in pain or already knocked unconscious.

Ember cheered in Horologium, amazed and proud at what her mother had accomplished. Those who had seen her attack cheered loudly, proud of what their nakama had done for them. Lucy smiled brightly, in disbelief herself about what she had done.

She looked over to a particular Lacrima-Vision screen, and saw Natsu grinning. Even from far away, he knew what was happening. Her smile widened even further.

Then she gasped.

She doubled over, her hands grasping at the ground beneath her. Pain – excruciating pain. It coiled in her stomach, as she felt a liquid pool at the area and drip down. She shakily moved one of her hands to touch it, though she had a very horrible suspicion.

Blood.

It happened too fast. She choked on her own blood that bubbled up her throat, as she toppled to her side. Maniacal laughter tang through her ears, and beyond the smoke, they all saw a figure appear. She gritted her teeth, a mixture of anger and disappointment swirling in her as she saw Kuro standing. He was scathed, but looked relatively fine.

She gasped sharply once more. Something twisted in her stomach, crushing and injuring her vital organs. It was sharp, and too painful to imagine. The pain was _immeasurable_.

The sharp thing extracted from her stomach, the same area where she was pierced before. A shadow blade. Though she knew that since her wound hadn't healed yet, it would be _much_ worse than last time. As she fought for air, she took the time to throw Kuro a scathing glare.

Her nakama who were still standing began their move, drawing their weapons and remaining powers, ready to attack the man until he faced oblivion. Holorogium disappeared, and Ember began running, not caring whether or not she faced any danger.

Kuro continued his laughter, savoring the demise of the woman he pitted revenge against. He built his shadow shields around him, his magical power seemingly endless. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see her remaining nakama all fighting against the single man who caused her tragedy. Despite herself, she smiled fondly.

"Mama! Mama!" Ember cried, running past all the rubble and unconscious bodies. Her single thought was focused on her mother. She knelt down next to her mother, crying against the woman's chest. Her daughter mumbled something incoherent, and Lucy tried to put on a brave face.

"Hush. Don't worry Ember. I'll be alright," she lied. Even though she knew that the claims were probably false, it was the only thing that she could do. "Ember, look at me," the little girl obliged. "Don't cry. Please don't cry. Just smile, okay? Smile for Mommy..."

Ember tried to, but she burst into another round of tears. She could tell that her mother was lying. Her mother was in so much pain, yet all she cared for was her.

"Mama. P-Please... D-Don't l-l-lea-leave m-m-me... P-Pl-Please..." the little girl stammered through tears, as her mother's breaths became shallower. Couldn't anyone help her? Wasn't there anyone that could help her?

It was happening too fast. Her mother's eyes were fluttering. Her breaths were getting shallower. If nothing was done, her mother would be...

"Mama! Mama! Please! P-Please! You can't! Don't go! Don't go yet!" she cried out desperately. She turned to those who were fighting, hoping that someone – _anyone _– could hear her calls. "Please! Someone! Help Mama! Help her! Please! Wh-Why couldn't Daddy s-save you... If he loves me and you, wh-why hasn't he come to s-save us?"

She saw someone run, but they were moving too slowly. She turned to her mother, who had a sad but peaceful smile on her face. The woman was on the verge of life and death. "Ember, honey," she whispered out, her voice sounding croaky and weak. Ember moved closer to hear her. "Your Daddy... He loves you very much. He treasures you... And... When you need him, he will _always _come to save you. So don't worry honey. Even if he's not here, he will be soon, even if I –"

She burst into a coughing fit, a bit of blood splattering her daughter. Ember looked at her mother in distress, afraid of what was happening. Lucy smiled, her eyelids feeling extremely heavy. She had no more energy. The simplest thing to do was sleep...

The Fairy Tail members were fighting at full force once more, even though it was painful. But, they knew that the pain wouldn't compare to what Ember was facing. They thought back to Natsu, and wondered what his reaction was. A single goal echoed throughout their hearts and minds: to defeat the man who had caused pain to those dear in their hearts.

**..O..**

He let out a beastly roar, entire body aflame in red fire – reflecting his anger and pain. They had both stopped to watch what had happened. Both had seen Lucy's immense power, and what had happened soon after. Natsu couldn't control it any longer. He had failed to protect one of his comrades – the one that he cared for the most.

Nazo couldn't help but be shaken by the surge of power from the Dragon Slayer. How could the man keep on fighting? Were his powers affected by his emotions? As he thought, he didn't have time to retaliate when Natsu attacked, fighting with all that he was capable of.

His eyes were narrowed into a frightening glare, as he made each bone-shattering move. "_Fire Dragon's Iron Fist_! _Talon_! _Wing Attack_! _Sword Horn_! _Flame Elbow_!"

Nazo couldn't stop the Dragon Slayer. Each move broke his body, to a point that could be called true pain. The fire was searing hot, and the force of the attacks only added to the damage. He tried to call out for a shield, or a weapon, but the realization struck him. _He had no more magical power_. Nothing could protect him anymore from the moves that came directly from the fire mage's emotions – all of which were born from Lucy and Ember's pain.

He closed his eyes, expecting the next move to be the worst that Natsu had ever dealt to any enemy. He smirked wryly, finding himself quite proud to match up to the most infamous Dragon Slayer known to man. Natsu let out a beastly roar, preparing to release the flames.

"_Crimson Lotus: __**Exploding Flame Blade**_!"

Nazo was engulfed in searing flames, as wave upon wave of fire danced around him. He howled out in pain, knowing that he had finally been brought down to his knees. In his mind, the roar of a dragon rung, the sound inflicting fear within him. As Nazo was tossed carelessly towards the other side of the arena, Natsu roared victoriously. The gates barring his way out disappeared, and he knew that they all lead to a single destination.

He strode up towards the defeated man, wanting to give him a message before he left. "Do not _ever _come back to Magnolia, alright? More so, do not ever approach _any _Fairy Tail member, _especially _Lucy and Ember, because if you do, you'll be facing pain _worse _than death."

With that, he ran towards the nearest exit, determined to reach Lucy and Ember before it was too late.

**..O..**

Ember continued crying, not wanting agree to the fact that in next to no time at all, her mother wouldn't be with her anymore. She had to think of something. There must be _something _that she could do. Why... Why hasn't someone come to rescue them yet, like it would in a fairytale?

Her mother entered another bout of coughing, and Ember could only watch in fear.

"I'm sorry Ember. But, I think it m-might be too late. I'm," tears began falling out of Lucy's eyes, her eyelids rapidly closing to a shut. "I'm _so _sorry. Don't you ever forget that everyone loves you okay? Don't forget what I told you about your Daddy, alright? Now, it seems that I-I have to... to..."

Her eyelids fluttered to a close, her mouth slowly curving into a peaceful smile. She looked like an angel, but that wasn't what Ember wanted. Yes, she wanted to see her mother's smile, but she wanted her to be _alive _as well. It couldn't be true. Her mother couldn't have...

She let out a cry of incomprehensible pain, tucking her head into the crook between her mother's neck and shoulder. It was Levy who had come running, and the woman was trying to think of a way to revive her nakama - her _best friend_, but hope was fading. Tears were blinding her, and the weight of it all was blurring her vision as she tried to staunch the wound to no avail.

Something pulsed in Ember – a _fiery_ sensation. All her emotions only caused the sensation to grow larger. It wasn't painful, but it did make her want to cry out as loud as she possibly could. With the combination of her tears, and pain, and the sensation, she didn't know what was happening to her.

The little girl let out a cry, and Levy was momentarily surprised at how much it reminded her of Natsu's battle cry. At how similar it was to a...

A _dragon's_.

Ember continued crying out her pain, unsure of what was occurring to her.

Because for a single moment, she felt as if the fiery sensation took control of her entire body, pulsing out even further than she could've imagined.

And the next second, she, Levy and her mother were all surrounded in a flickering red ring of fire.


	15. Don't Lose Hope

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Oh my gosh. All of you are too amazing. Just... _too amazing_! Thank you for all the reviews, the additions to favorites and alerts, and to those who read the chapter. I'm glad that you all liked it! Did you like my little cliffhanger? (Stupid question to ask there.)

Oh! And to answer the question from _Kryztaliaena Elizabeth_: No, Gray isn't that weak! I promise! His shadow was just a total ass and left the fight while Gray was off trying to help the others. Stupid shadow...

I hope you enjoy this chapter! It is the final battle chapter, so I really hope that I did well with this, and the past few chapters that have had action. I'm not really good with writing action scenes so...

Also! Make note of this (I'm sorry if I disappoint.) I WILL NOT BE UPDATING FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS! I'm going on vacation and after that, I have exams so... You guys will just have to wait until the 19th of May for the next update. I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!

With that, I hope you enjoy Chapter 14 of To What We Once Were!

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><p><strong>Chapter 14 - Don't Lose Hope<strong>

Her small body couldn't take it. The sensation in her burned through, moving outwards. Her eyes were scrunched up as she tried to handle the feeling, but opened once it had left her.

A ring of fire surrounded them, almost as if it were guarding them. She couldn't spot the recognizable Fire Dragon Slayer anywhere, but with those sensations... Who had made the ring? C-Could it have been _her_?

She glanced down at her mother's body to see it the same as before – no scorch marks or anything of the sort. She looked to Levy, who seemed amazed at what had happened in the split second. The woman was staring at Ember with wide eyes.

"Wh-What in Earthland _was _that?" Levy questioned, looking around to see if anyone could offer any answers. Her fellow nakama were still fighting, but she knew that they all saw the fire. They glanced furtively around them while attacking, wondering who had cast the magic.

A weak cough came from somewhere beyond the flames. Levy stood, moving to see who it could have been. Kneeling beside the flames was a beaten-looking blue-haired youth. Beside her were two Exceeds, both of whom had their wings out and were panting.

"Wendy! Happy! Charle! How? What are you doing here?"

The white cat looked up to the questioner. Taking a moment to breath, she looked to Happy and they both nodded. Taking one of Wendy's arms each; they took off, lifting her above the ring of fire. They landed beside Lucy, and Happy had to keep concentrating on trying to help his teammate, otherwise he would've burst into tears.

Ember watched them, choking back a cry of relief. With Wendy, there was a chance that her Mama could be safe. Her mother had a chance of living again!

Her thoughts were shattered when she heard haunting cackles. Something icy cold wrapped around her leg, and she couldn't stop her screams as she began being dragged away from her mother. Levy looked at her, panicking. The older woman tried to run and catch her, but Ember had already gone beyond the flames.

"Powers like that, at such a young age. You have a bright future as a mage, little Miss Ember," his smooth voice spoke, shooting fear through her. The evil man was grinning, and she was quickly being dragged towards him. She was frightened. She didn't want to go back to him. She wanted to be with her mother.

Recalling her mother's final words, she knew that there was one person that she could call on – that she _needed _to call on.

He was the only one that could save her then.

She closed her eyes, the vague vision of a pink-haired man coming into her mind as she screamed out the single word that she never expected to say in her lifetime came out of her mouth. "_DADDY!_"

For a split second, it was as though the fighting had stopped. The clashes and slashes ceased for that fraction of a moment, eyes flickering in the direction of the little girl who had called on her last hope – the savior that she wished would come.

Hope dwindled the next second, her thoughts of being saved fruitless.

A beastly sound, most like a dragon's roar, made her think twice.

"_Fire Dragon's Roar_!"

A large trail of bright red flames encircled Kuro and Ember. The shadow that held her leg vanished, and she looked up with grateful eyes to the one person that she had been dying to know for her whole life.

She heard someone manage a laugh, and turned to see Gray staring at the archway, grinning like a mad idiot. "Took you long enough you pyro!"

Said pyromaniac grinned back, cracking his knuckles before directing his gaze to Kuro, who other than looking a tad weary and beaten, seemed as maddeningly fearful as ever. Natsu spared a glance at the smiling girl, knowing that simply seeing her safe was enough to make him all fired up.

He noted a fire ring dying out somewhere a bit off from him. He wondered who could have made it, but those thoughts were cut short when he saw Wendy, healing a body. What struck him even more was that the body had blonde hair.

Trying to control his raging desire to murder a certain man in cold blood, he managed to leave his expression to fearsome and not ferocious. Bathing his hands in pure red flames of anger, he began marching towards the shadow master. His nakama also began striding, the ones who were left surrounding the man.

"Hurting people is _never _a good thing. Hurting my nakama is worse," Natsu growled out, his eyes showing a flash of murderous intent. "But _daring _to hurt a mother and her little girl, both of whom mean the world to _all _of us... You are going to be _wishing _that you could go to Hell quicker than you could say 'fairy'."

Kuro smirked, and for a moment, they all glanced at each other.

The next moment, they launched themselves at the one enemy, determined for him to meet his end, in no polite or pleasing manner.

**..O..**

_She woke up to white. _

_Nothing more, nothing less._

_The space she found herself in was an empty canvas, completely white in every aspect. She could see no color, and no way out._

_She checked her body, her hands drifting to her stomach. There wasn't any trace of a horrible wound ever being there. Her entire body was clean, and she noted that she was in the same outfit that she had been wearing when she had first met Natsu._

Natsu_... Her eyes widened considerably, her mind rushing back to the thoughts of the battle. Of her using Urano Metria, of when she was stabbed ruthlessly in the stomach, of how her last thoughts were on her daughter's wellbeing. _Ember_._

_She had died. She had died at the hands of that cruel man._

_And she had left so many that she cared for behind._

"_Why...?" she asked herself, her voice barely above a murmur. She could only wish for someone to give her the answers. "Why did I have to fall at his hands and leave them all? Even now... I'm still weak."_

_She fell to her knees, not bothering to wipe away the saddened tears that had run down her face. It was too much for her to handle. Although she could not feel her physical pain, the emotional pain was too much for her to withstand. Her body wracked with sobs as she tried to hide away from the reality of it all._

"_Do you truly perceive yourself weak dear? After all you've faced, I wouldn't use that word to describe you," a calming voice spoke out. Lucy reacted quickly, bolting up from her crisis-stricken state. She looked down at herself, surprised that she had transformed into a younger version of herself – the ten year old her._

_But that wasn't what had stunned her the most._

_From the nothingness, a woman began striding towards her, garbed in a white gown that flattered her body. With her gracious smile, Lucy could find no other word to describe her other than heavenly. It was too unbelievable – yet expected at the same time. She took a shaky breath. _

"_M-Mama..."_

_If possible, her mother smiled even further. A glow surrounded her, perceiving her more radiant than she thought capable. Layla Heartfilia knelt beside her daughter, tears shrouding her vision. The woman held her hand out to her daughter, beckoning for their touch to meet._

_Lucy attempted to place her small hand upon her mother's, but it simply went through. Her mother was a vision. Smiling sadly, she sniffled, wiping away her tears. It was overflowing joy she felt at seeing the woman she had longed to have never left her._

"_Mama. How can you say I'm not weak? I left my nakama... I left my Ember."_

_Layla shook her head. "You insist that you are weak, but you have grown so much these past few years. I'm so proud. I'm proud that you became a mage that people can respect, and the mother that can show unwavering amounts of love in the face of danger. I could never be more proud."_

_The words warmed her heart, but Lucy was still left unconvinced. "But I left them! I was... I was killed. I was killed by that man who held feelings for you."_

_Layla sighed, her eyes growing hazy with nostalgia. "Kuro was once a respectable man. Everyone in the Guild held a liking for him, including me. But my feelings only extended to friendship." Her gaze moved to the floor. "I... I had never known that his feelings for me were unrequited. I must have broken his heart severely that night."_

_It was Lucy's turn to shake her head at her mother's words. "You did nothing wrong Mama. Don't put all the blame upon yourself, when you had never known about the existence of his feelings for you."_

_The woman sighed, smiling once more. "You truly have become the daughter that I had hoped you would be. I wonder if your own daughter would become as wise as you."_

_Lucy looked down sadly, wringing her wrists. "I-I'll never see my Ember again. I won't see Fairy Tail, or Natsu, or my Ember..."_

_Layla smile curved knowingly. "And whoever said that you would never see your family anymore my dear?" she asked. Lucy was confused at what her mother was hinting at. "Do you remember what I had told you, about The One Magic?"_

_Lucy nodded slowly. She was startled when she saw her mother holding something in her arms, the woman wrapping it around her neck. It felt warm and cozy - familiar. "The One Magic... You said that it's purely _love_, right?"_

"_Yes, The One Magic is love," Layla echoed. "And it is the single thing that could save you now Lucy. Do not give up hope just yet."_

_Her mother's figure began to fade, and Lucy was thankful that she had had a meaningful conversation with the woman. Lucy tugged at the article around her neck. She felt fabric – it meant that it was _real_. She took a closer look at it, eyes widening._

_With the comforting scent of burnt wood, it was a dragon-scaled scarf that was wrapped around her neck – her final tie to reality._

_If her nakama haven't given up their fight, then neither would she._

**..O..**

The scarf had fluttered off in the midst of the fight. Out of the corner of his eye, he had seen Ember pick it up and hold it tightly as she ran back towards her mother's body. He knew that it was safe in her hands.

He attempted to land another fiery kick onto Kuro, who had blocked it with a barrier. Beside him, another one of Gray's ice-made spears shattered from the same barrier. Erza was in her Heaven's Wheel Armor, directing swords to shatter the seemingly invincible barrier that Kuro had put up.

Erza's major attack, along with Master's furious giant punches and the rest of them hurling their own specialities; they knew that soon enough, the barrier would break. Kuro would be at their mercy.

And he deserved _everything _that they would throw at him at the climax of their battle.

Master punched once more, at the top of the dome-shaped barrier. And like fragile glass, the mages heard the making of a crack. They all grinned, knowing that they had finally broken his shield. More cracks appeared on the shadow barrier, until cracks had surrounded it in its entirety.

And for a small second, there was silence.

The barrier shattered into small fragments, flying everywhere. Those near had to duck, wary to not let themselves get hurt from such a measly thing. Kuro stood in the middle of what was left, scowling at all of them. Natsu stepped forward; arms alight in flames that burned a dark crimson color.

"Can't run away now, can you? Stop being a coward and face us. Daring to hurt so many of us... Just because of pitiable emotions. You're the _worst_ kind."

Kuro rotated his head, chuckling all the while. He grinned at the fiery Dragon Slayer. "Have you ever felt_ love_ before Salamander?" Kuro asked, sounding very patronizing. Natsu narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists tighter. His nakama were all silent, preparing their weapons for their time to strike. "I guess you have. Then let me ask you, have you ever felt _unrequited _love before. To know that you're in love with another, who doesn't know anything about your feelings..."

Kuro's hands were suddenly bathed in black shadow, reminiscent of the flames that burned on Natsu's fists.

"To know that the one you love is in love with another – you feel the _worst _kind of pain. And that is what made all _this_!" He gestured to their crumbling surroundings, eyes drifting everywhere before landing on the blonde body in healing. "I craved my revenge, and this is how it was dealt. Though, there is another who has suffered worse pain than me, who deserves more _sympathy _than I."

"And who may this worse sufferer be?" Erza asked, grip tightening on her sword.

Kuro's grin was malicious. "Isn't the answer obvious Titania? It's the woman who had to suffer through the same pain as me – _unrequited love_. The woman who had dealt with the revenge I wanted against her mother. A woman who holds a power so startlingly beautiful, yet terrifying at the same time. Why, I'm talking about _Lucy Heartfilia_ of course."

Natsu growled under his breath, the mere mention of Lucy's name from Kuro's lips making him bloodthirsty.

"But since I do _not _show sympathy, I say that we continue the suffering shall we!" he cried out. Before anyone could react, a large explosion erupted, shrouding the immediate area in thick smoke. Makarov radiated a bright light, which cleared the smoke in their immediate area.

A large, sharp-tipped shadow was headed straight towards Lucy.

A burst of flame stopped it in its tracks.

The shadow moved back, transforming back into its original human form – _Kuro_.

Eyes turned to Natsu, but even he was dumbfounded. He hadn't conjured up any fire balls quick enough to get there. Then who could have summoned it, if it wasn't him?

"_Stop. Hurting. My. MAMA!_"

The smoke fully cleared, and they all saw their youngest, glaring with bitter hate at Kuro. On her right stood Levy and on her left was Happy. Behind them, Wendy continued healing Lucy with Charle by her side. With each passing second the blood and wound were cleared.

There was no evidence on who had cast the magic, but they all had an inkling – Natsu excepted.

Kuro laughed. "Wonderful attack that was. Was it you, the Solid Script mage who had conjured it?" he asked sadistically. Levy's eyes narrowed. "No... I do believe that it was someone else that had launched it on me."

He took a step forward. Another burst of flame erupted, an angered cry accompanying it. They all saw who it was that time.

Ember was panting, drained from the amount of magic she had exerted. She leaned against Levy, trying to catch her breath. She couldn't control her fire. Her fire was controlling her. It made her too tired. She heard Kuro cackle again.

"So it was the Dragon Slayer daughter who did it. Are you angry that I'll hurt your Mama?" he jested, his question dripping with sarcasm. "How about... I hurt _you first_?"

Once more, a burst of flame was thrown at him, but it was stronger and larger than before. He smirked and turned his gaze to the murderous man walking towards him, his body bathed in the glowing flames that one would find in Hell.

Without words, he launched himself at the shadow mage. Kuro, who hadn't been expecting the agility, could not block the attack quick enough. Natsu tackled the man, pushing him down to the ground. Natsu then began to unleash a series of punches against the man's torso and face, wanting to see him bloodied.

Kuro grimaced and transformed into a shadow, slipping away from Natsu's hold. Thinking he could escape, he was trapped in an iron hold, made by Gajeel. Erza ran and jumped up, slashing her sword in a flourish of attacks that harmed the man.

Gray was next, forming a dozen different ice blades aimed at Kuro. One moment they were forming, and the next, he was throwing them with all his might. Kuro was angered by the attacks, hissing in pain from the amount that the Fairy Tail members were giving him.

Just as he was about to set free his shadows, Master emitted a light. The light was so bright that it banished all traces of the shadows standing below them, also blinding Kuro. The light wavered for a few moments, surrounding them all in the heavenly glow. The Fairy Tail members were unaffected, and although they didn't know why they weren't blinded, they took it as the only opportunity to land a fatal strike.

Natsu launched himself again, his entire body ignited in the crimson flames. His skin was forming reptilian scales, and those who had knowledge of the advanced form of Dragon Slayer magic knew that even Kuro had no chance for the attack to be made.

He roared, propelling himself even faster towards Kuro. For hurting his nakama - for hurting _his Lucy_ and for hurting _his Ember_; he would show something to Kuro that could easily match the face of Death.

"_**Crimson Lotus: Phoenix Sword!**_"

A loud explosion echoed throughout the room, the immense impact of the hit sending many of them flying. The room had become hot, as if they were all suddenly put into a vigorously-burning fireplace.

The flames of his wrath burned through Kuro, making him cry out in sheer pain and agony – worse than what he's ever felt in his life, which included his heartbreak. Fire was all that everyone who witnessed it could think about momentarily; the pure essence of a dragon's fire. The flames had burnt Kuro, as if they pierced straight through his body – through his shadows.

He had been scorched by the raging fire of a _dragon_ – the most _formidable_ of any kind.

He realized the true meaning of pain at that single moment.

It probably matched the horrible pain that he had delivered to Layla's daughter.

Natsu fell to the ground, landing in a crouched position. He panted heavily, exhausted from the amount of power he had used when attacking Nazo and Kuro. His nakama watched in amazement, awed and proud of what he achieved.

Kuro fell to the ground soon afterward, his skin burnt and seared to various degrees. As he slammed heavily onto the crumbled floor, he groaned, notifying that even after the attack he was still alive, but just on the brink. Erza, Jellal and Makarov all moved towards him, ready to apprehend the man at any moment for the crimes he had committed against them.

The rest of them approached the heroic Salamander, to make sure he was alright. He brushed them off and stood up wearily, making his way to Lucy and Ember. They followed him, all of them wanting to know about their Celestial Spirit mage's condition.

Wendy had collapsed beside Lucy's body, Charle rubbing the blue-haired mage's head. Levy beamed at them, as if there was good news to come. Happy was beaming as well, his paw holding Ember's.

Ember looked up and smiled thankfully, tears of joy flooding her eyes. She couldn't have been more thankful – to the Fairy Tail mages that fought against the dark Guild, to Wendy who had tried so hard to heal her mother, and to the Dragon Slayer that finally defeated the man who had held such a despicable hate for them all.

Natsu's gaze finally landed on Lucy, and he couldn't stop his forming grin when he saw those recognizable chocolate-brown eyes stare back at him, in such a way that made his heart soar. She gave them a weak smile, whispering so softly that only Natsu managed to catch it. "Thank you..."

_His_ Lucy and _his_ Ember – they were both safe.


	16. The Final Truth

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Thank you everyone for being patient! I know that I pretty much left you all questioning what was going to happen, which will be answered in this chapter (to the relief of many of you). Thank you to everyone who had reviewed (we're over 300 now! Makes me want to do a little happy dance actually~), added to the alerts and favorites lists or read! I really appreciate the continued support.

I thought that I should tell you all this now, so I hope you don't become sad. A lot of you would have probably realized this – the fact that we're nearing the end of this story. I actually wanted to say that this is the second last chapter of the story. Even though we are nearing the end, I will do my utmost best to give you all a finale to love!

So without further ado, I present to you Chapter 15 of To What We Once Were.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15 – The Final Truth<strong>

It was hushed in the carriage. Many of their nakama had fallen asleep from the exhaustion of using their powers to the fullest.

Once Kuro was defeated, the hall crumbled even further, and the shadow labyrinth disappeared. Replacing it was the exit, and they discovered that they had managed to get themselves to an abandoned manor at the outskirts of the town.

They had gotten aboard the train an hour before, many collapsing soon afterward. They still had a seven-hour trip ahead of them, so it wouldn't hurt if they rested for a while. The only ones who had stayed awake were Master, Erza and Mirajane – all of whom were watching a specific trio who were sleeping soundly on a set of seats.

Erza had broken the silence that lingered over them. "Master, as much as I am glad to see this battle concluded," she glanced at the sleeping woman – the one who had had to face the worst out of all of them, "I don't understand why you couldn't simply use Fairy Law once our shadow-doubles had disappeared. Defeating Kuro would have been much simpler then."

The old man stayed silent for a moment, contemplating his answer. "Erza, did you ever consider how protective dragons could get of their treasure?" he questioned cryptically. The scarlet-haired mage went silent, thinking of his words. "When their treasure is put in any danger, they have the power to unleash their most fearsome powers. That was what displayed earlier this day. Natsu... He needed to take responsibility for his family, and I simply don't mean Fairy Tail."

Mira looked out the window, concentrating on the full moon – mystical with the stars framing it. It reminded her of Lucy's earlier move, when she had showcased her full powers. "This means that Natsu knows the secret, right? And Ember too?"

Erza nodded, replying. "I believe that once Lucy wakes, she will have to overcome another challenge – admitting the truth to the two of them. Considering the two, I wonder how she'll handle it."

They all smiled fondly, directing their gaze to the trio. If only they had a camera... Or if Reedus was awake with a sketchbook in hand – they could have been able to preserve the memory forever. "I think that Lucy is capable," Master stated, a tinge of pride in his tone. "She has proven to us the amount of strength she holds since her return."

Mira giggled lightly, as they all turned away, leaving the small family in peace. "Lucy-san's become much stronger than we could have ever believed. They make a beautiful family."

With his face leaning against the window was a worn-out Dragon Slayer, knocked unconscious by Erza before he could go sick on anyone. Using his shoulder as a pillow was a peacefully resting Celestial mage, a small smile gracing her features. On the lap of the man sat a little girl, also snoozing like the rest of them, her hand clutching her mother's tightly.

If no-one knew any better, it could be said that they were a picturesque family.

**..O..**

He woke up just as they were pulling into Magnolia's station. The sun was just rising, so he concluded that he slept through the entire trip. Trust Erza to knock him out just so that he doesn't throw up on any tired people.

He was glad for the nap. After the final move he had used on Kuro, he had wanted nothing more than to simply collapse on the ground. His body hurt from the amount of strain he had put it under. He knew that it would be sore for a few days, but he was just glad that everything was finished.

That Lucy and Ember could be happy again.

He tried to stand up, wanting nothing more than to get out of the vehicle and let his feet land safely on the solid ground. A few moments of struggling, and he realized that he couldn't budge. That was when he noticed a weight on his lap and right shoulder.

He looked down, a grin forming at the sight of a sleeping little girl. She seemed too serene, as if she had never faced the horrors of only the day before. He glanced to his right, his beam growing wider and more affectionate. The blonde was resting as well, her head falling on his shoulder.

The pair had suffered through much more than a person needs to face in a lifetime.

As the train came to a complete stop, the blonde-haired women arose, rubbing at her eyes. It was as if all the terrors that she had overcome had only been a dream.

Everything would have become much simpler, if it wasn't in reality.

Seeing her awake, he shrugged his shoulder to assist her in waking. Her eyes widened, and she jerked away quickly to see Natsu watching her fondly. His easygoing smile made her blush slightly, feeling much like her younger self. "G-Good morning."

"You act as if yesterday was a normal mission."

She blinked, surprised with his response. After a brief silence, she sighed. "I... I know... I shouldn't be simply ignoring this – like nothing of that _calamity _had happened yesterday. But just..."

He gave her a pointed look. "You aren't weak," he murmured in a low voice, his hand edging slightly towards hers. "Stop convincing yourself that you are, because you _aren't_. Believe me."

His words comforted her on a level. Hearing it from him – it was possible that she could truly believe the statement. "You sound so mature right now, it's actually quite odd."

He shrugged. "It's probably because of this mystery that's been confusing me for a while; I think I've almost figured the answer. To make sure that I know everything, there's still one person that I need to hear from."

She bit her bottom lip, knowing exactly what he was hinting at. To prolong her reply, she picked up Ember – the little girl still locked away in her sleep – and stood up, ready to exit the train. Before she stepped off, she spoke softly, "I'll tell you everything this time. I promise."

**..O..**

As she tucked her daughter away into her bed, she felt the light morning breeze hit her open nape. Since she knew that she had closed the window before they had left on their mission, someone must have opened it.

There was only one answer to that.

Pivoting her heel, she wasn't shocked at the sight of her beloved Dragon Slayer, already seating himself in one of the armchairs that she had managed to furnish her apartment with. He was looked around, a contented look on his face.

"I haven't done something like that in a while," he spoke out, his manner casual. "It's sad to think that this isn't your old apartment though. Ah well. It's still pretty good."

She looked at him, imploring for an answer to his easy tone. Leaving her daughter's side, she stood up, walking slowly to face him. He watched her. Even though they spoke no words, the atmosphere was thick with the unresolved mystery that she was at the heart of.

Letting herself fall into the armchair in front of him, she sucked in a breath before beginning the tale. "It's... a long story. You just have to promise me that you'll only leave any comments till the end, alright?" he nodded slowly, and she closed her eyes as the events of that fateful night replayed through her head, like a movie. "It was on my 18th birthday, a long while after the start of the party..."

**..O..**

_The Guild was far beyond 'slightly tipsy'. Most people, if not everyone, were staggering around, holding empty bottles of whatever liquor they picked up as they danced and sung along with Mira's cheerful guitar playing. Lucy stood at the bar, grinning like a mad idiot. It was during those times when she couldn't help but be so overwhelmingly happy that she was a member of Fairy Tail. Their fun and lively spirit could turn even the worst party-pooper – Laxus for example, who was pulled into the fray with his team with a smile on his face – into a fun-loving partygoer._

_She was probably the most sober out of all her nakama, only having a few glasses even though the celebration was all for her. That was another reason why she loved Fairy Tail – her family wouldn't forget her birthday. They would celebrate it with a massive party that could last three days if they were allowed._

_Snorting at the thought, she sipped the fruity cocktail that Mira had whipped up for her just earlier. She watched her nakama, happy at the pure sense of joy that emanated from them. She could even see some couples pairing off, making her squeal internally like a little school girl, or just like Mira._

_Her senses heightened as she felt a presence sit in the stool beside her. Glancing, she was relieved to see that it was only her favorite Dragon Slayer, sipping on some mysterious pink-fluid that she hoped wasn't a girly cocktail._

_He stopped drinking from the glass, turning to her to offer a lopsided smile. It may have been too clichéd for her tastes, but she did feel a small flutter in her chest from the single action. She smiled back, putting aside her glass on the counter. "What's up?"_

"_Are you enjoying the party?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. She smiled wider, tuning her gaze onto her beloved nakama. _

"_Definitely. It's... nice. It's nice having a family actually remember and celebrate your birthday."_

_He shuffled in his seat and kept his eyes trained on her. "Yeah..."_

_She noted his continued staring and scanned the room, in search for a particular Strauss sibling. Finding the youngest dancing with her siblings, she nudged Natsu with her elbow and pointed. "How about asking her for a dance? I'm sure Lisanna would love to be with you."_

_Ignoring the ache in her chest from her words, she watched him decide. He looked at her, perplexed by the sudden statement. He glanced at Lisanna, who was goofing around with her sister. After a thought, he shrugged and hopped off the chair. "Alright!" he punched a fist in the air, already starting to walk off; but not without pointing a warning finger at her beforehand. "Don't you get too lonely though. This party's for you remember!"_

_Giggling, she waved him off, sighing softly when he left her. She turned on her chair and lay her head down on the counter. The feelings for her best friend shouldn't have been there. It should have been left platonic. She was never supposed to develop an interest in him; a longing that was a downright pain in the ass at times._

_A golden trail of light drifted from her right hip, making her glance curiously, as out of the forming gate appeared a heavenly figure bathed in light. When that dispersed, she was pleasantly surprised to find herself face to face with the leader of her spirits._

"_Loke! What brings you out of the Spirit World?"_

_He bowed down deeply, taking her hand into his own to lay a gentle peck of his lips onto it. She flushed and shot her hand back, startled that he would make such a move. He smirked at her innocent approach, winking. "Why, I just wanted to see you on your birthday Lucy. Is that a problem?"_

_She gave him a pointed look, crossing her arms across her chest. "You didn't have to do that you know. I was just about to begin heading home. Everyone's getting too crazy. I'm thinking that if I don't get out yet, I'll be wasted by the end of the night."_

_Smiling, he offered his arm. "Well, it would be my pleasure to accompany you back to your home. We wouldn't want any strangers trying to pick up a beautiful lady like you on a night like this."_

_Trying to level down the sudden urge to hit the Celestial Spirit with her whip, she looped her arm around the crook of his elbow and they began walking. "You know. If you weren't a Celestial Spirit or a member of Fairy Tail, I think that you would've fit right in with The Trimens," she scoffed out, making him snort. With a fond smile, she added. "But you already know that it won't work on me."_

_He spared a glance at a specific Dragon Slayer, knowing all-too-well about the feelings his dear Lucy held for the boy. "It's a shame that it wasn't me who you fell for. Guess I'll have better luck in another time."_

"_You have Aries, don't you?" she asked teasingly, amused at how quick the spirit could go from a casual expression to one of an anxious teenager going out on their first date – spluttering and nervous._

_Concentrating on the man beside her, she missed the look of pure, seething jealousy coming from the best friend who knew nothing about how she felt._

**..O..**

_Loke stopped walking when they were most of the way back to her home. He gripped her arm tighter, making her alert of his sudden apprehension. Loke glared behind them, as if sensing a threatening presence. Lucy understood immediately, free hand flying to her whip._

_They moved to their battle stances as a staggering figure shone under the lamp light. The mess of pink hair was utterly recognizable, and the pair relaxed at the sight of a friend. Thinking him to be completely drunk out of his mind, Lucy walked up to assist him. _

"_Natsu, are you alright?" she asked with a concerned tone. He leaned against her, and she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Seeing Loke's bemused look, she gave him a fierce look, knowing exactly what he was thinking of. But when Natsu groaned, all thoughts of the spirit went out of her head and were immediately replaced with worry over her friend. "I don't think you're alright. Let me take you home so that you can rest this out. You're gonna have a _killer _hangover tomorrow. Loke, help m - Loke?"_

_Said man had disappeared back into the Spirit World, leaving her alone to take care of the poor little drunk that she was half-carrying. Groaning at her misfortune, she began dragging the Dragon Slayer, glad that they were only a block away from her apartment._

_Once she tossed the boy with some difficulty onto her couch, she headed straight to the shower to clean away the stench of alcohol on her. With the amount that her nakama were drinking, it wasn't hard to imagine that there wouldn't be much activity the following day. That would leave her a free day to write some chapters, or just explore town for fun._

_She heard footsteps as she dried herself from the quick shower. Believing that it was just Natsu sluggishly making his way to place himself on her bed, she took her time, wanting him to be asleep when she got out. Cautiously tiptoeing her way out the bathroom door, garbed in a somewhat skimpy black nightgown – since it was the only piece of clothing that she could find that wasn't dirty – and towel wrapped around her drying hair, she almost squealed when she saw her friend awake, staring at her with an intensity that she hadn't seen before._

"_Uhh... Natsu, is something wrong?" she asked carefully, not wanting to be too loud because of his sensitive hearing. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"_

"_Do you like Loke?"_

_She cracked, hand clasping the doorway as she began laughing at the silly question. It was unusual to hear it from him, so she guessed that it was the alcohol talking. But she could've sworn that he sounded extremely jealous in the statement._

"_Loke? You think... You think that I like Loke?" she asked, wiping away the small tears of amusement that formed in her eyes. Composing herself, she formed a sufficient reply. "No Natsu, I do _not _like Loke in the way you're implying. He has Aries, remember? And even then, I'm already sick of his playboy ways."_

"_But you seemed really close with him when you left," he accused, narrowing his eyes to slits. Rolling her own eyes, she leaned against the doorway, thinking that a drunken Natsu was someone she didn't want to meet daily. _

"_Natsu. Stop sounding so overprotective. I only like Loke as far as a close friend. I don't even know why you're assuming things, but I think that someone sounds jealous."_

_He muttered something under his breath that she didn't catch, which only aggravated her. He was grouchier than usual. It wasn't fitting. She walked across the room to sit at her desk, uncomfortable to sit next to Natsu in case he explodes – hopefully not literally – and because of her outfit._

_Natsu continued watching her, resuming the same intense expression that made her speechless. It wasn't because it scared her, but since it sent shivers running down her spine. She loved his boyish charm, but the look he gave her was just too seductive, which may not be considered such a bad thing._

_After a while, he spoke. "You just don't know do you?"_

_She raised her eyebrows, confused with the unexpected statement. "And what do you mean by that?"_

_He stood up to come up to her, his pacing steady. She narrowed her eyes, confused about his actions. He wasn't staggering, or slurring his words. If she had never known the amount of drinks that he had during the party, she may have just presumed that he had none at all._

_With each step, he drew closer. Once he had stopped, he was closer than what she considered for comfort. He brushed away a stray piece of hair that had fallen across her face earlier, staring into her eyes with an enigmatic look in his own. She gulped, her heart fluttering quickly._

"_How I feel when some jackass approaches you," he murmured in a low voice. She squeaked and stayed silent as Natsu's fingers lazily trailed down her face. "You don't know how angry I get, sometimes to the point when I want to burn them into ashes on the spot. At times, I don't even care whether or not they're nakama. I just don't want them touching what's supposed to be _mine_."_

_Lucy vaguely remembered Mira pouring some drinks in a glass, the white-haired mage whispering conspiratorially that the drink held a magic, in which the person whomever drinks the liquid will reveal their deepest heart's desire - one that even the person themselves may not have known yet. She could also recall that the liquor was pink in color – the same color as the one that Natsu had drunk when they were talking previously._

_But, all those thoughts had flown out just as quickly as they had come in when she noticed how Natsu was leaning in closer to her with each passing moment._

_There was a moment of hesitance when their lips were only an inch or so apart. She gazed at him, trying to see whether or not there were any traces of feelings in whatever they were about to do. There was nothing but desire in his eyes, and something that she recognized as affection. Shakily, she leaned forward, not wanting to hold anything back any longer. _

_Fortunately for her, neither did he._

**..O..**

She hadn't realized that her hands were shaking until she had finished her story. Natsu had kept silent the entire time, and she was mildly surprised at the amount of maturity that he had displayed. As her tale had ended, he let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding.

Holding back her fears of his response, she kept a steady gaze latched onto him. "What do you have to say?"

Natsu pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to let the information slowly sink in. Everything... He finally knew everything. Why Lucy had disappeared. Why his nakama had kept silent about Ember's true origins. The closeness he had felt with Lucy and Ember. Ember's _father_.

And the truth about the feelings that he held for a certain woman.

The uneasiness in him, ever since Lucy had returned and the mysteries had surfaced, disappeared. He looked over to the little girl, tucked away into her bed. That... That was his daughter right there. And he had never known, until that moment.

"Why? Why hadn't you told me earlier?"

She bit her lip, half-expecting that it would be the first thing he'd ask. "I... I was so scared. You... You and the rest of the Guild had abandoned me for Lisanna. Especially _you_. I was afraid that you wouldn't accept the fact, especially because you hadn't retained any memories of it afterward. That's why I ran. I ran to look after myself and my Ember."

"Lucy..." he breathed out.

Shaking her head, she gestured at the window. "Could you please go for a little while? I... I need time to think right now."

He watched her, confused at the request. After a moment, he accepted, realizing that telling the truth that she had wanted to hide so badly might shake her a bit. Giving a final nod, he stood on the window ledge, sparing a last concerned glance before jumping down to the ground below.

As soon as he was a far distance off, Lucy tucked her legs to her chest, curling up like a ball. Burying her face into her knees, she released the silent tears that she had wanted to shed ever since she knew she had to tell him the truth.

She didn't know what the two of them would become of anymore.

**..O..**

The packing had only taken an hour or so. The necessities that the pair of them would need wherever she decided they'd end up being. Ember had been sleeping the whole time, unaware of the resolute decision that she had made.

They couldn't live in Magnolia anymore.

Their bags were packed, and Virgo was already delivering them to the train station. Lifting her little girl into her arms, she treaded quietly out of the apartments. She knew everyone was at the Guild, recovering, but it wouldn't hurt to be cautious in case someone would come barging in.

The walk to the train station only made her feel guilty. She knew she was being too selfish about it, especially to Ember, but she also knew that it would only lead the both of them to pain if they stayed any longer. Ember would wonder why her Daddy would be with another person, and she would only reply with a sad excuse that was half the truth of the real one.

Sunset had fallen upon them once she had reached the station. It was strange to think that only the day before, she was fighting for her life against a madman who wanted revenge against her mother. Holding Ember tight, she purchased their tickets to a train headed to wherever its destination may be.

Waiting at the platform, she thought heavily on her decision. There was still the opportunity to head back, but was it truly the life that she wanted to live? Since coming back from Magnolia, there had been nothing but hardships thrown at them one after the other. Would any more come their way if she stayed?

Footsteps echoed along the platform on which she stood alone. Thinking it to be another person boarding the train, she ignored them. That is, until this mysterious person spoke to her with a knowing tone.

"I expected that you were going to end up here tonight," an even toned voice spoke out. Trying not to stumble or drop her daughter, Lucy slowly turned to see the short-haired Take-Over mage, watching her with solemn eyes.

"L-Lisanna?"

The woman walked up to her, staring at her all the while. "Running away again are we?" she asked, leaving her mute. "I'm not going to stop you from your decision, if you think this is the right one. Can I just ask why?"

Lucy glanced down at her daughter, the ground, ashamed and petrified to be facing one of the main reasons of her second departure. "I… I don't think that we belong in Magnolia anymore. That we belong in Fairy Tail anymore…"

Lisanna tilted her head. "You don't think you belong in Fairy Tail? Then tell me, what's that symbol on your right hand?"

She looked at the limb, eyes growing wide at the sight of a familiar pink symbol. She had been completely ignorant of its return, too concerned over the passing trials she had had to come over. Her lips grew into a thin line, highlighting her incapability of speaking.

"If that doesn't say you belong in Fairy Tail, then I don't know what proof you need more to justify you being a part of the family. But, I think I know the real reason why you may be departing this evening," she murmured, reaching out her arm to place it comfortingly on Lucy's shoulder. Lucy flinched. "It's about me and Natsu, isn't it?"

If it was possible, Lucy lowered her head down even further, the guilt and shame piling onto her shoulders like heavy weights. As Ember shifted around in her arms, she slowly nodded in reply.

Lisanna put on a thoughtful look, glancing into the shadows of the station's entrance as if expecting someone to come along. In a whispered tone, she muttered, "I was jealous… So undeniably jealous. Before you had left, you two were so close. Everyone just _knew _that the both of you would end up together. I didn't want to accept the fact. So when Natsu had wanted me on his team, replacing you, I let my feelings and jealousy blind my actions. I couldn't deny that I wasn't happy, but because of it, you had received the brunt of it all."

Taking a breath, she continued. "I was even happier after you had left. Natsu was finally mine – all _mine_. And it seemed that we would end up happily, and the memories of you would grow fainter over time. It… It never did fade for him. I knew that he could never forget about you. It was probably because you were destined to be his mate; not me."

"His mate?" she uttered incredulously – the first words she had spoken ever since Lisanna began speaking her insight.

She smiled wryly. "The one destined to be with the Dragon Slayer forever. It was only reinforced with the fact that you had Ember. Everyone knew it all along… Even me."

When Lucy looked up, Lisanna looked downcast, but a smile of bravery was still plastered on her face. "Lisanna…"

There was a tense moment of silence between them, as Lisanna contemplated her words. In a moment, Lisanna had wrapped her arms around Lucy, giving her an embrace. "I tried… I tried _so hard_," she whispered to the woman. "But it was always meant to be you. Thank you for letting me have my chance with him but, in the end, it was clear that he chose you."

"What do y-" she began, her voice abruptly stopping when a figure came from the entrance, frantically searching around for something, or someone. Her breath hitched, as she realized the meaning of Lisanna's final words.

As the woman stopped their embrace and moved off to the side with a sad little smile on her face, Lucy held tighter on Ember, who she knew, was slowly beginning to wake. The man came up to them, looking exhausted from the hunt he had made once he found out they had left. She could just imagine that her mouth was ajar, as a small whisper escaped her lips.

"N-Natsu…"


	17. To What We Once Were

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Wow... It's been a long trip, hasn't it?

Thank you to everyone who added this story to their favorites or alerts lists, or who reviewed or read. I honestly appreciate everything that you guys have done. Thank you to everyone who's supported this story until the very end!

This is dedicated to every single one of you.

Thank you _so_ much.

There is a little prologue bit at the end, so please don't get confused when you see it there.

Also, sometime in the future, I'll be posting up another Fairy Tail story which will replace this one as my main project! I hope you can look out for that one! It's still in its planning stages, but I'm definitely excited for it! I hope you'll keep an eye out! I'll give you a hint – it's an AU story, and I swear that I've only seen at least one other story like it.

So without further ado… After sixteen long, grueling chapters; I present to you the final chapter of To What We Once Were!

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><p><strong>Chapter 16 – To What We Once Were<strong>

_As the woman stopped their embrace and moved off to the side with a sad little smile on her face, Lucy held tighter on Ember, who she knew, was slowly beginning to wake. The man came up to them, looking exhausted from the hunt he had made once he found out they had left. She could just imagine that her mouth was ajar, as a small whisper escaped her lips._

"_N-Natsu…"_

A quiet but tense atmosphere surrounded them. Nothing could be heard except for their shallow breathing and the constant blows of wind that cooled them.

He stared at her with intensity – the same intensity that he had exhibited that fateful night six years before. She was left breathless, unsure of what would happen. He had caught her red-handed, running away from a home and family that had welcomed her with open arms.

How was she meant to explain her actions?

"Natsu…" she whispered out once more. "How…? Why…?"

"I had this sick feeling in my gut. I don't know how, but it was practically screaming that something bad was about to happen. Then I realized that it might be something about you and Ember," he explained, sounding breathless. "I was running to Fairy Hills when the wind picked up your scent, and I managed to track you down here."

"But then, how did Lisanna –" Lucy paused in her sentence, staring at the white-haired mage who was staring pointedly at the ground. How had she known that Natsu was chasing after her? Was it simply an intuitive feeling that the woman had about him?

Natsu sighed, leaning his arm against the nearby metal pole. He seemed frustrated, which made her feel worse. With a tired voice, he asked, "Can I be the one asking you questions now?"

She gave a wry smile, already anticipating his first question. "Shoot."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm going to board a train."

"Anything else you want to tell me about it."

"Not in particular."

He growled, exasperated by her replies. It wasn't what he wanted. He needed to know the exact reason for her wanting to suddenly depart, no vague excuses. Then, he remembered what had occurred earlier that day, and received an idea of what to say. "You're running away from all your hardships again, aren't you?"

She flinched. Seeing the action, he knew that he hit the nail.

"I still don't understand why you think you're weak. I think you've done more than enough to prove you're not," he reassured, taking a cautious step forward. Lucy's head ducked down, her bangs covering her watering eyes.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about…" she replied, the fear creeping back in her voice.

"Please," he said, his desperation seeping into his tone. It made her quiver like a leaf. "Please stop lying. You've hid secrets from me, and now you're lying. I've… I've honestly had enough of this Lucy."

She took a deep breath. "Then what do you want me to do?" she asked, glancing for any sign of the approaching vehicle she was hurriedly waiting for.

"Stop lying. Just tell me why you're here. Why you're running away again!"

"Because I am _weak_! I'm _weak_! Look what happened yesterday! I almost failed to protect my daughter! Everyone I love as well! I haven't learned anything in these past six years!" she screamed, tearing a piece of her heart out with each statement she made. "I need to be in a place that won't bring any danger to me or Ember! We can't face anymore of what happened yesterday! Even earlier, when I was telling you the story, I just wanted to leave you at every given moment. I haven't grown stronger," she let out a hollow laugh. "I'm guessing that's why I want to run away."

"Running away will just prove that you _are_ a weakling," he pointed out.

"Hadn't I just stated the mere fact earlier?" she retorted. "If leaving this place gives me and Ember just an _ounce _of serenity, then call me a weakling and never see my face again."

He walked up to her, grabbing at her biceps to keep her in place. He inched his head close so that she'd be able to hear every single word that would come out of his mouth. "You are _not _weak. How many times do I have to repeat it to you? There's no need for you to escape this town like the coward you _think _you are. You are stronger – _much_ stronger – than that. Somewhere in you, I know that you believe me too."

"I –" she began, before the shrill echo of a whistle came from a short distance beyond them. Both their heads turned to see the train emerging from the darkness, coming towards the station at a barreling speed.

Natsu panicked. What if she hadn't listened to his words? Would she climb aboard the train, never to come back and see him or the Guild ever again? Would he never see his Lucy or his daughter again?

The train came to a screeching halt in front of them. A few passengers came out, excited beyond wits to finally see the famed Magnolia. For those who were boarding, they were the only ones on the platform. Since that was so, they'd only be given a few minutes before the train continues on, with or without them.

Natsu's words confused her conviction.

She didn't know whether or not her choice was right anymore.

"Mama, why are we at the train station?"

The voice made her freeze. She felt Natsu tense up when his hold on her arms grew the slightest bit tighter. Small hands clasped at her dress as the little girl in her arms moved around, trying to get a clear view of their location. "Why are we here? And – Why do you and Uncle Natsu seem sad?"

Lucy put on a forced smile, not wanting her daughter so fussed over her. "I'm not sad! Your… Your Uncle Natsu isn't sad either," she lied, her voice honeyed. For a split-second, she glanced up to see Natsu staring at Ember with a forlorn expression, but before she could question it; she had her eyes trained back on her daughter.

Ember's eyes widened as she recalled her words and found a grave mistake. "No – He's not Uncle Natsu," she murmured, turning her head to stare at him. "You… You're not Uncle anymore. You're not pink-haired idiot anymore too! You're… You're _Papa_!"

Natsu's grip on her let loose, setting her free. She backed away, but Ember had become uncontrollable in her arms. The little girl squirmed and writhed, wanting to escape from her mother's embrace. After a few moments of struggle, Lucy sighed and let Ember down on the floor. Ember smiled thankfully before running over to hug Natsu's leg with all her strength, not wanting him to ever be away from her.

"Papa… You're my Papa!" she cried out ecstatically, tilting her head up to grin at him. He felt so idiotic for not seeing the completely obvious. The girl had his grin – the same one he's seen in countless photos of him and his nakama. How painfully oblivious was he? "I knew it when you saved me and Mama from the bad guys! I was right! I'm so happy that you're my Papa!"

He gulped, crouching down to meet her at eye level. There was an odd but pleasantly warm sensation pitting in his stomach, and he knew that it was all because of the little girl looking at him with such hope-filled eyes.

"Y-Yeah… I'm your dad."

Nothing could have been brighter that evening except for the grin that Ember made to him. He couldn't falter his small smile as well. That single moment was the first in many father-daughter ones that he would've liked to make in the future.

"Ma'am, are you boarding the train?"

Two heads looked up to see the train conductor speaking with Lucy, who was looking more stricken with each passing second. Her eyes flitted to the pair, her mind weighing out what her final decision would be.

Would she leave Magnolia forever, granted a peaceful life with her daughter without any of her nakama there with her?

Or would she stay, and face whatever dangers may come charging towards them with her comrades standing side by side with her?

"Mama, are we leaving?" Ember's innocent voice asked, filling the silent gap that was between them. "Where are we going? Is Daddy gonna come?"

Slowly, she shook her head, reaching out her hand to beckon Ember towards her. Even then, her eyes were paused on Natsu, as if she were trying to have some type of telepathy link with him so that they could talk. "Yes, we're leaving. And… N-No, you're Daddy's not coming."

Ember distanced herself, moving closer to Natsu. "We're… We're leaving Daddy?" she asked, suddenly fearful. The young girl couldn't hide her desperation when her mother nodded. "B-But I just found out he was my Daddy! I-I don't wanna leave him yet!"

"Ember…" Lucy murmured. If this decision would make Ember hate her, was the worth of it still there?

"And Fairy Tail too! I don't wanna leave Fairy Tail! I-I love everyone there!" Ember cried out, momentarily rubbing her eyes of the accumulating tears. "I wanna read more with Auntie Levy! I wanna bake more cake with Aunt Erza! See Uncle Gray make ice flowers! Play at the town fountain with Aunt Juvia! I wanna stay with everyone in the Guild!"

Ember began hiccupping, falling on the ground with eyes brimming in tears. Natsu was helpless. Lucy was stunned.

"I-I wanna help Auntie Mira give everyone their happy endings, like they do in fairytales!" she wailed, staring at her mother. Lucy could see her own self in her daughter – the girl who had desperately wanted nothing more than happiness. "That includes you and Papa as well! And leaving will only have a sad ending for everyone!"

Lucy's thoughts were going haywire. Her daughter wanted to stay. But she knew that if they stayed… What _would_ happen if they stayed? Would Ember be put into danger once more? Would she be hurt anymore than she already had been?

Would everything go back to the times of peace and joy?

The concepts were almost foreign to her.

"Lucy, it's your decision," his voice spoke out. Natsu had his eyes on the ground below him. He didn't know if he'd be capable of watching the two closest to his heart slip away, under his consent. But if it was the decision she had made, he didn't have much right to stop it. "In the end, you know what's best for you and Ember. Just tell us what you want."

With a shaky breath, she walked forward, kneeling in front of her daughter. She scooped the little girl into her arms. With the tiniest of whispers, she replied, "I just want everything to go back."

"Back?"

"Back to when everything made sense. When everything wasn't this confusing and painful and –" she sighed, staring up at man above her. "I just want everything to go back to what it once was."

"Was that before the Nazo and Kuro incident, or before you coming back?" he asked, perplexed by her true desire.

For a brief second, she went silent, thinking of the best possible way to phrase her final decision. She didn't know whether it was the one that will bring her and Ember assured peace and wellbeing, but she knew from the bottom of her heart that it was the right one.

"To a time when happiness wasn't just fleeting… And the only place I found true happiness with my Ember was here, when I was with Fairy Tail…" she whispered softly.

A beat of silence.

Ember looked up with rejuvenated hope, hearing the last statement. Sheer delight overwhelmed the little girl as she returned the hug that her mother was giving her. Natsu made a reassured sound, falling to his knees to join them. He couldn't have been more thankful.

The train conductor, moved by the scene, went back into the train knowing that no-one would be boarding from the station. Lisanna still stood there, a mixture of grief and contentment in her. She knew that one way or another, she'd manage.

She was honestly just glad that some of her nakama could finally attain what they had so desperately wanted for the past six years.

Natsu took her hands into his, never wanting to let them go. "I think we'll be able to do it," he spoke with a determined manner. "I think we'll be able to go back."

Lucy nodded, the truest of smiles finally coming onto her face after a long time of simple fakes. Within her, the fear that had been eating her raw had vanished, replaced with a familial feeling that she had been craving for many years. "Yeah… Let's go back; to what we once were."

**..O..**

She was always the girl who believed that fairytales could come true in real life. She was the one that believed classic romance in fairytales was true. She was the one that believed that every girl out there would be saved by a prince and have her happy ever after.

There was a single woman that needed one more than any other. Especially after facing a man who used lies to get close to her and another who wanted her blood because of his unrequited love; she needed someone to unconditionally love her after all that.

For a long while, she wondered if her mother would get the happy ever after that she had deserved.

So when she walked in front of the woman, who was garbed in a beautiful white dress, down a snow-white aisle, throwing pink rose petals as the two made their way to the front where the reckless but lovable prince was standing; she knew that her Mama had finally gotten the fairytale ending.

A fairytale in Fairy Tail… She liked the sound of it.

As her parents – how she loved knowing that she had two instead of just one – had put it at the train station on that faithful day; everything had been restored to what it once had been.

_To what it once were._


	18. A Simple Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

You guys weren't expecting this, were you? Even I wasn't until my hands began typing away.

Once again, thank you _so _much for the support throughout the story. It's truly been memorable, and I can safely say that I am _so _happy that I wrote this. Thank you so much everyone! You've made this worth it!

Well, as a token of my appreciation to each and every single one of you, I've decided to upload this little future epilogue, just so that you can catch a glimpse at the life that our little family had managed to achieve after having everything restored 'to what it once were'. This is set twelve years after the last chapter, so things have definitely changed. Hope you guys enjoy~!

Also, the book cover is made by me, and the picture was found on the website Zerochan, which I edited a bit. The link to the orginal is (taking out the spaces): www. zerochan 598613

And with that, I present to you the Bonus Epilogue of To What We Once Were!

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><p><strong>Epilogue – A Simple Beginning<strong>

It was a fairly common day in the Guild widely known as Fairy Tail. The euphoric atmosphere was inviting yet daunting at the same time. Mages renowned throughout the kingdom of Fiore stayed within, treating the Guild as their home. To the surprise of anyone who had not visited the Guild in the past few years, there were many new faces – youngsters seemingly familiar until one could get a glimpse up close.

They were the new generation of mischievous and strong-willed mages, capable of being even rowdier than their predecessors.

A single girl led the lot of them.

She touched two fingers to the forming bruise on her forehead, smiling menacingly at her foe opposite. The boy cocked his eyebrow up provokingly, an orb of clear water conjuring in his hands. Matching him, she set her free hand alight in glowing red flames, launching herself to throw a punch at him.

He ducked it with inhuman agility, kicking out his leg to trip her. She smirked and jumped up; avoiding the move that she would have easily fallen for if her father hadn't shown in their training before. Landing in a crouched position behind him, she spun around quickly, screaming the words her father taught her.

"_Fire Dragon's Roar_!"

A blast of red-hot flames came from her mouth, aimed directly for the water user. There was no way he could have avoided it. As the flames hit, she hopped up and cheered, doing a victory dance reminiscent of one she did when she younger.

"Ha! Looks like fish-out-of-water got beaten this ti –" she squealed, unprepared for the powerful wave water that came crashing onto her, cutting her speech abruptly. She heard a jovial laugh and glared murderously at the culprit.

"Who's the one beaten this time?" a mischievous voice asked innocently. She bared her teeth, some of which were sharp, and set her hands alight once more, ready for another round of ass-kicking.

"Ember! Go change your clothes before the boys start leering at you! I don't think anyone really wants to face the wrath of your dad when he comes back from the mission!" a voice jokingly cried out. The girl named Ember whimpered, pouting as she put away her flames.

Though one couldn't blame the person for their statement. Ember, at the young age of seventeen, had inherited her mother's exact looks, including the curvaceous body that many were envious of. It could be said that she was the mirror image of her mother, with the exception of the vivid pink hair and pointed canines; traits adopted from her father.

Ember huffed, pivoting on her heel to see the person who had spoken to her. The young, ebony-haired girl smirked playfully, looking like the spitting image of a water woman when she was the same age. In her palm, she played with an ice-formed crystal that she was practicing on. At ten, her Ice Make powers were to be feared, and were also the pride of the Fullbuster family.

"You should shut your mouth Winter. You're just jealous that Ember-nee can get to be that close with the water boy! Look who's getting angry at her _love rival _now!" teased another voice. Ember grinned at her savior, who so happened to be the eleven year old Gale, the budding Solid Script mage of Fairy Tail, following his mother's footsteps. After brushing a hand through his unruly blue hair, he pushed his glasses over his piercing red eyes and grinned back at the fiery girl.

"Oh yeah?" she asked challengingly. Winter glared at Ember, standing up from her seat to get into her battle stance. "Come fight me dragon girl, and this _isn't _about love rivals or anything like what my mom was against yours."

"I'm all fired up!" Ember shouted, getting ready to burst into a sprint when someone managed to stop her by wrapping their arms around her waist, holding her in place.

She heard a low chuckle and blushed immediately, trying her hardest to escape. Although, the same thing has happened before and she knew that he would only douse her flames out with his water. The drawbacks of being a Fire Dragon Slayer's daughter against a water user.

"You know, it's pretty rude to just abandon the person you were battling previously when the fight isn't over," he whispered slyly in her ear. She grit her teeth, confused on whether or not she should be seething in a blazing anger or blushing like every giggling girl that she detested to be. So far, it seems that she was turning into the latter.

Her nose picked up a scent, and her scowl formed into a grin as she whispered back victoriously, "Y'know, it's pretty stupid to wrap your arms around a girl when her dad, who just so happens to be a Dragon Slayer that can whoop your ass in one second flat, is standing right outside the Guild doors and is gonna enter right about…"

The doors burst open with a deafening sound that could have left a normal person dazed.

"_Now_."

The delicious scent of flames filled her nostrils, which alerted her to the fact that her dad was pissed, which was to no surprise really. That's why she didn't even flinch when the man growled out, "If you don't take your hands off my daughter in the next second, I'm not going to hesitate burning you."

The boy let his hands drop, but to her curiosity, he began chuckling like a madman. Everyone thought that he was committing suicide when he began running, bellowing with a loud voice, "It's on old man!"

Just before the 'old man' could get a hit – which she recognized as his fire claw – a woman whacked him upside the back of his head, frowning at his foolish antics. "Natsu! You are _not _allowed to go into furious, rage-filled fights with the kids! And there is _no _way that I will let you burn someone into tiny ashes, okay?"

"But Luce!" he whined, sounding very much like his younger self.

"No buts," she replied firmly, her entire manner changing when she faced the boy. "I'm sorry about that Ryou-kun. He just gets a little too overprotective sometimes, as you can understand."

Before Ryou could reply, Ember was already running, wrapping her mother in a tight embrace and talking at a breakneck pace. "Mama! You're back! How was the mission with the old team? Did Papa piss you off again? Do you want me to go hit him for you?"

Her mother laughed, shaking her head at the silly questions her daughter was asking. "The mission was wonderful. Yes, he did piss me off a few times but no; you don't have to hit him for me. I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself."

"Okay. I just had to make sure. We all know how idiotic he can be."

Two arms wrapped around the embracing women, enveloping them in an extremely warm cuddle. "Excuse me! You shouldn't be talking about me while I can hear you perfectly!"

Ember smiled playfully, nudging her dad in the ribs. "That's the whole point Papa."

Her father chuckled, letting go of them just so that he could ruffle her hair like he used to when she was a little girl. She tried brushing him off, but couldn't say that she didn't enjoy it. Her mother was standing, watching them with an amused smile.

"Perfect timing!" someone shouted out, the voice shattering Ember's little happy moment. She begrudgingly looked up, glaring at the boy who had interrupted the wonderful father daughter moment. Brushing away the black hair from his eyes so that the aquamarine orbs were in full show, he slung an arm across her mother's shoulder. She felt her father tense up. "Mrs. D, can I take Ember out on a mission? I'll give her three-quarters of the reward money, and she can get some more experience as well! We all want her to be as strong and beautiful a mage like you, right?"

Everyone knew that they boy was asking for instant death by being that close to Lucy, but their minds were resolute that he would shrivel up and be ashes in the next second when the older woman blushed slightly.

Ember tackled her dad before he could do any permanent damage on the boy. Winter and Gale rushed to help, grabbing the Dragon Slayer and sitting down on each of his calves. With them two and Ember on his back, there was no way of escape.

"Reedus! Get over here and paint a picture of the idiot on the floor!" they heard Gray cry, which made it even harder to keep the hot-headed mage contained. Winter whined for her father to shut up, and being undeniably enamored with the little girl, he closed his mouth and turned to look away.

"Ember! Lemme go! I need to pummel that kid!" Natsu cried, trying to push himself up. He knew that he could have easily gotten up, but playing along with Ember's actions was more fun. Although, he would have quite liked to see the Ryou boy burn in a warm, toasty bonfire especially created by him. "I thought you didn't like him! I mean, if you don't stop me now, you're mom's gonna say yes, and you're gonna be on your way to being stuck with that idiot for a couple of days."

The girl's eyes widened as she hopped off her father's back and flung her way to her mother, dragging her away before she could speak anymore. Glaring furiously at Ryou, she spoke harshly, "And _why _are you asking my Mama if we can go on a mission together? The person who needs to agree to this is _me_."

"Even though your mom said nothing, I know what her answer already is. Even luckier, I've already handed in the request to Aunt Mira so you've got absolutely no choice now! I was only asking because she'll be my _kaa-san_ in the future. It's only respectful, don't you think?"

Many things seemed to happen at a small amount of time. The kids and adults that were scattered across the room, watching the whole affair, burst into guffaws and chuckles. Natsu was beyond control, trying to get forward so that he could choke the cheeky boy. Lucy giggled, smiling knowingly as though she had already predicted it. Ryou smirked widely, winking at Ember.

She could only gape, looking similar to a dumbfounded fool, and turn to look at her mother questioningly.

The woman shrugged her shoulders; sure that Ember knew the answer already.

And that she did. It was simply just another beginning of a day at their beloved Fairy Tail.


	19. And So, the Rival Came

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

I should really stop adding stuff to this story and work on other things. This is meant to be finished!

However, it seems that with my last update came a lot of confusion. Hopefully, this chapter can help you understand the OC that I had added in the epilogue.

Also, I probably won't add anymore chapters to TWWOW after this chapter. I really do need to move on and work on other projects, so yeah...

Oh! OH! Before I forget! **blackrain105. tumblr .com(/)post(/)26697037932(/)im-finally-finished-and-i-still-suck-at** (remove the brackets and any spaces)

BlackRain105; she is probably someone that I love so, so, _so _much right now. When she approached me asking for permission to draw that, I nearly flipped. When I saw the draft, I flipped. And when I saw the final piece of work, I just _freaked_.

Thank you _so _much for drawing that. Words cannot even describe how honored and flattered I am. **I recommend that everyone look at it's awesomeness**.

Now with that said, I present to you a side story of To What We Once Were!

* * *

><p><strong>Side Story – And So, the Rival Came<strong>

She had always been a fiery little sprite, even before she had found out about the truth. But, ever since her true roots were uncovered, she had never been more energetic; one of the main havoc-causing people in their Guild, right beside her father for the infamous title. It was a wonder how Lucy could survive with the two.

As much as she was a reckless child, there was still one thing that she was missing.

And that was a rival.

As odd as it probably sounded, she desired to find a person that she deemed powerful enough to be called her rival. Her father had a rival, if the fact wasn't obvious enough. And although their fights were usually stupid and based upon nonsense, she still envied the fun that they seemed to share.

The opportunity had come five years after the incidents that had occurred when she had first arrived.

As a twelve year old, her powers and strength were advanced in comparison to other budding mages her age. She had to give credit to her father for all of that. After discovering that she was more inclined to fire rather than celestial magic after a year of testing out both, they had set to work. She believed that he enjoyed teaching her a lot, reminded of the similarities of the training that he had with Grandpa Igneel.

Many in the Guild believed that she had the potential to even pass Natsu one day, if she worked hard enough.

No-one at that day and age could match up to her; that is, until _he _came.

'He' had simply _appeared_ one day, tagging along behind Master as the old man came back from another council meeting, almost reminiscent of a lost puppy dog unsure of where it had stumbled across. Of course, Ember was excited at first glimpse of him, overjoyed that someone her age had finally come round to (hopefully) join their rambunctious family.

She considered herself to be quite lucky when Master called her over to meet the boy.

As she approached, she got a better look at him. His head was covered in a mess of charcoal-black, with his bangs almost covering his eyes. His eyes were probably the most charming thing about him – a clear aquamarine color which surely matched the seas which surrounded Fiore. His mouth was curved into a slight frown, and with his hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie, he almost seemed... bored.

He gave out a presence similar to that of Uncle Gray's.

She heard wailing from somewhere to her right, and presumed that it was Aunt Juvia once the cries of "Why Gray-sama? Why would Gray-sama cheat on Juvia?" were heard. The boy in front of her spared a confused glance, but stayed silent.

Wanting to be polite, she held her hand out and smiled, surprising the boy. "Nice to meet ya! I'm Ember! And hopefully, you aren't Uncle Gray's secret love child."

The boy snorted, smirking slightly as he took his hand out of his pocket to meet with hers. "Nah. As awesome as that would be, I'd rather not wreck the Fullbuster family. But you just said Ember right?" she nodded. "The famed daughter of two of the most infamous mages in all of Fiore? Nice to meet you. The name's Ryou."

"Last name?"

He shrugged. "Not important."

She gave him a wary look for a moment, before letting her grip fall. She folded her arms and stared at him, trying to figure out what was so enigmatic about him. "What kind of mage are you? Ice? Solid-Script? Take-Over? Requip?"

His small smirk grew wider, as if he were expecting her question. Cocking an eyebrow up, he crossed his arms, as if proposing a challenge to her. "How about a little fight? Then you wouldn't have to ask anymore?"

Ember's brow rose up, as her liking for the boy increased slightly at the offer. "You seem to speak my language. I like that!" she cried out, taking a step back to ready her battle stance. Her hands clenched into fists, and in less than a second, they were alight in bright ruby-colored flames. "I'm all fired up!"

She launched herself at him, prepared to deliver a heated punch to his chest. With amazing reflexes, he caught her punch before it could hit him. She was surprised that a person could stop her, more so with the fact that it was with his _bare hands_, which could have easily burned.

She heard a sizzling sound, flinching when she felt something cool wrap around her hands. She had shut her eyes tight, afraid of what it was. Although, the substance felt quite familiar. Opening her right eye to take a peek, she was a mixture of amazed and annoyed at discovering what his powers were.

A water mage. Ryou was a water mage.

Her opposite.

Around her, the Guild members were impressed, never believing that someone was strong enough to overcome the fire mage. Gritting her teeth, she set her right leg in flames, aiming to get a hit at the boy for vengeance.

Much to her aggravation, he dodged it, jumping up with inhuman reflexes and flipping over her head. He landed behind her. Spinning around, her hand still in his hold, he locked his free arm around her neck. Her right hand was trapped between her back and his chest, twisted at an awkward angle. Her leg was doused by a wave of water that crept upon it.

She grunted angrily, struggling to escape his hold. Even though she was turned away from him, she was sure that on his face was a gratified smirk, which she would've gladly socked right off his face.

There was a moment's silence, before the voice of the young Redfox to her left broke it. "Ember-nee... Lost?"

"So much for being the strongest mage of your age," Ryou drawled, loosening his grip enough for her to move away. Before she could make a counterattack, he had already moved, dashing to sit atop the counter. Once he was there, he gave her a teasing grin, adding a wink for good measure.

She growled under her breath, stalking her way towards him. Before she could get there, a few Guild members had already found their way, fawning over him and his 'skills'. Winter was the one closest to him, her eyes sparkling brightly in awe of the boy.

"Wow!" she gushed, clasping her hands together. "You beat Ember-nee just like _that_! And you have water powers like my Mom! Are you my long-lost big brother?"

Ember couldn't resist bursting into laughter at the young girl's innocent question. Ryou's eyes widened to the size of golf balls as she shook his head vehemently. Juvia squealed, screaming, "Juvia did not elope with Gray-sama so long before we had Winter!"

Gale moved forward and pushed the fawning girl away, apologizing for her idiocy. Once the ruckus over that matter was settled, Ember strode forward and sat in her mother's stool, which so happened to be where Ryou was sitting next to.

"I _will_ beat you next time y'know," she muttered, pouting at the cocky look he had.

"Keep telling yourself that."

**..O..**

With an emphasized 'oof', she skidded across the wooden floor of the Guild hall. Applause rung through her ears for the boy that calmly made his way up to her to offer his hand. She huffed and pointedly glanced away, picking herself up and dusting herself off before jumping up to tackle him.

Not expecting the hit, they both fell to the floor. Ember, finally proud that she got a move on him, didn't realize how compromising their position was. However, Ryou and the rest of the Guild had, though chose not to speak so that the girl could savor her miniscule victory.

They hadn't expected their next visitors.

The Guild doors burst open, but Ember was too wrapped up in her pride to notice their entrance, until the most boisterous of them all started shouting.

"We're back! Hey! Have you got some food for us Mira! I'm starved! Train trips don't do anything good for your appetite and –"

The familiar voice stopped, and the atmosphere in the hall suddenly grew tense. Ember, finally coming back to her senses, turned her head round and grinned at her parents, only to stop when she saw her Dad's fearsome glare.

"Papa... Is something wrong?"

Before Natsu could do anything, Erza and Gray had him on the floor. Happy sat atop his head for good measure. Ember turned to her mother, who was smiling that little smile of hers when she knew something no-one else didn't.

"Mama... Why is Papa on the ground?"

"Sweetie, before you ask us that, can you tell us why you're inappropriately sitting on a boy in the middle of the hall just in time for your very overprotective father to see?" Lucy questioned, glancing at the pair.

Ember blinked, the statement registering in her mind slowly as she looked back down at the boy she was on top of. He was smiling awkwardly, and a faint pink-tinge stained his cheeks. Ember examined their position; her sitting on his stomach with her hands on his chest.

It was only proper that she shriek and jump away from him as if he were a disgusting bug.

"Papa, I can explain!" she cried frantically, waving her arms in the air like a maniac.

She heard someone snort, and glared at the young boy who buried his nose back in his textbook, but not before making the remark, "_Definitely _not the right words to say to your Dad. Choose better ones next time when you begin explaining stuff."

Winter smacked him on the arm. "Stop being all smarty-pants Gale!"

"You're speaking of things that most children under ten shouldn't be talking about," Pantherlily added, whacking his other arm.

Ignoring them, Ember walked up to her father, who was glaring murderously at Ryou. Lucy decided to make her way towards the new boy, meeting him for the first time even though he had already been at the Guild for two days.

"Lovely to meet you..."

"Ryou."

"Lovely to meet you Ryou. I'm Lucy Dragneel, and the man who wants you dead is my husband and Ember's father, Natsu Dragneel," she explained, shaking his hand politely. "Be careful when you're with my daughter please. It's very hard to control that Dragon Slayer when his fatherly side kicks in. I don't think he's ready for any boy to come in close quarters with Ember just yet. But don't worry. If it comes to you, I'll persuade him to be nice."

Ryou was confused at her statement, but he did blush slightly at the knowing smile and wink that she gave.

"Mama! Stop talking with the idiot! You're making Papa even angrier!" Ember reprimanded, dragging the woman away from the boy and over to her husband. After one look at him on the ground, Lucy saw it fit to deliver a Lucy Kick, sending him flying a little ways off.

Once her deed was done, Lucy dusted her hands and turned to face Ryou, who had managed to get on his feet. "I'm sorry that we couldn't meet under better circumstances," she apologized, her smile turning sheepish. "Sometimes, it's just hard to tell how he's going to react to anything. More often than not, he overreacts to even the slightest of actions."

"Y'know, I can still hear you," a voice called out. Heads turned to see the flame mage standing up, making his way to stand by his family. He eyes the young teen cautiously, unsure of what he'll do next to his daughter. "And you... You're new, aren't you?"

Ryou nodded.

To their surprise, Natsu grinned, holding his hand out. "Well, as much as I want to burn you right now," Lucy shot him a deadly look. "It's nice to meet ya. Welcome to Fairy Tail Ryou."

The two shook hands, and from her vantage point sitting next to Gale after all the mess, Ember raised a brow. "I'm sorta surprised Dad didn't burn him yet," she whispered to the boy, who lowered his book to watch the scene. "But I feel somewhat relieved..."

"You're turning soft Ember-nee," he commented.

"You like Ryou-kun?" Winter asked, her tone sounding angry.

"Psh. Why would I like him?" Ember retorted, making a disgusted face. "There's no way... He's only been here for two days!" Winter seemed unconvinced. Ember huffed. "I do not like the new guy. He just annoys me. That's all."

**..O..**

That afternoon at the Dragneel residence, Ember was on her knees. On her face was the best puppy-dog face that she could produce, and with each passing second, the man in front of her cracked. She hardly ever used this tactic to get what she wanted, but she knew that for her specific request, it would require her to turn desperate.

"Please Daddy? Please? You know how much I wanna be stronger! And you know how much _you _want me to become the best mage of my age in _all _of Fiore! And that means I can't lose to anyone! So can I pretty, pretty, _pretty _please, with extra hot sauce and flames on top, have more training?"

"I don't know Ember... I've been training you to the extent your powers can go before you begin hurting yourself more than you need to." His eyes flickered to the kitchen, where he knew Lucy could hear ever single word of their conversation. "You're already strong, aren't you? What's with the sudden need to get stronger?"

Ember muttered a name under her breath, foolishly thinking that her father wouldn't catch it. However, when his eyebrows raised and his mouth curved into a frown, she became nervous.

"So it's about _that _boy... Did he beat you in a fight?" After a moment's hesitation, she nodded slowly, biting her lower lip. She heard him growl. "That kid beat you? Hmm... Maybe more training is in order for you to pummel that kid without a sweat."

Just as her hopes got up, she heard the kitchen door slam open. She winced, knowing that only one other person could be the cause of it. Head turning, she shivered at the fearsome expression that her mother had on her face. It didn't help that in her hand was a knife. Natsu had the same horrified expression his daughter had. Lucy, confused by their sudden mortification, dropped her gaze to the blade she held in her right hand. Eyes rolling at their immaturity, she went back into the kitchen to put away the knife before coming back to glare at the pair.

She took aim at Natsu first. "I can't believe you! You're willing to risk our daughter's wellbeing just because you don't like the boy that's beating her when they spar? I thought you would be smarter than that Natsu! I put faith in you when you taught her, but I never thought that you would allow her to train more and endanger herself! I'm ashamed!"

Natsu was visibly hurt by the words, shuffling in his seat uncomfortably and looking away from her intimidating gaze. When he was being shouted at by Lucy, he acted more like a guilty child than usual. With her words to him finished, she turned to her daughter.

"Ember... Sweetie... You don't need more training just because one boy beat you. You're powerful enough as it is, and we couldn't be prouder of that fact. Even you know that it would be risky if you train harder than you've been going. I don't want to see you hurt more than you should be."

"But I _need _to be the strongest Mama! I'm not going to rest until I'm able to beat him in a fight. And that means that I _need _more training!" she pleaded. "Please Mama! Let me have this chance!"

"No!" Lucy snapped, her eyes burning with fierce determination. "I will _not _let you get yourself into reckless danger all for your greed for more power. I _forbid _you to receive extra training. And because of this foolishness, I also forbid you from fighting anyone this week! Is this all clear to you?"

Ember groaned in frustration, knowing that if she attempts to argue further, she'd dig herself deeper into her own grave. Shooting one last scathing glare at her parents, she marched out of the room with what was left of her rebelliousness.

Lucy sighed, shuffling so that she sat next to Natsu. He spared a sympathetic glance and wry smile. It did nothing, with her only shaking her head sadly.

"I don't want her to get hurt anymore..."

A comforting arm wrapped around her shoulder as Natsu took the liberty of making her feel better by planting a kiss on her forehead. "I know. She's gone through too much for a child her age. I guess it's our fault that we're so wanted by all of Fiore. My powers amaze them all."

Although it was no joking matter, with the way he had spoken it, it was obvious that she was going to hit him in some sort of way.

**..O..**

"Mama, Papa; I just realized this, but you guys came home early from the mission yesterday. Did something go wrong?"

Ember walked side by side with her parents, on their way to the Guild. There was still an awkward tension between the mother and daughter, but they chose to ignore it for the time being, knowing that the matter would be settled soon.

Natsu grimaced. "There were more bandits than it said originally on the request sheet. It also forgot to mention that they were mages. After beating about three-quarters of 'em, the rest ran off," he explained, cracking his knuckles at the memory. "Bunch of cowards. I tried to track them down, but they hid their scents. It seems like they knew how to fool a Dragon Slayer."

"Aww... No need to fret over it! When they come back, you'll just give them a taste of what Fairy Tail's true powers are!" she cried out, punching her fist into the air for added effect. Some curious gazes went their way, but at seeing the prominent pink-haired mages, they knew that it was simply the Dragneel family causing another racket.

The Guild was in its usual bustling form when the family entered. Natsu went straight for Gray, who was already in the process of stripping away his shirt. Lucy and Ember, considering it a normal occurrence, walked to the counter to get their catered drink and food from Mira.

As she sat down, she took a look around the hall, and was quite surprised when she saw Ryou freely conversing with Gale and Winter, the trio looking to be having a blast. Jealousy shot through her, and she fought hard to not make a scene like her father would, instead choosing to brood about it while relishing in the comfort of her flame food.

Mira noticed something was up almost immediately. "Jewel for your thoughts sweetie?"

Ember shook her head, swallowing the last piece of her food. "No need Auntie Mira. Everything's fine!" The woman gave her a pointed look, and after a second, Ember sighed dejectedly and glanced at the trio again. Her mother was too absorbed in a conversation with Cana, so she knew that she'd have no problems admitting it to the wise mother of the Guild.

"He's sitting there with Gale and Winter, and they all look so happy together! It's unfair! What about me? He's practically taking over _my _life here!" she whined, slumping across the counter. "We don't even know that much about him, other than his first name and his powers. We don't know his age, where he came from, if he has any family members... That guy's a total enigma!"

Mirajane looked amused. "Ember, honey, you're ranting."

The girl immediately shut her mouth, a pink flush covering her cheeks out of embarrassment. Mira chuckled lightly, finding the girl's personality endearing. She took a glance at the three that she had been complaining about, and wasn't that shocked to see that Ryou was watching the girl intently, a small, goofy smile across his face. Even though they were a little ways off, she could tell that Gale was teasing him about it, and that Winter was acting like her mother, starting to believe that Ember was her love rival.

Ember snapped up, her eyes and grin wide as a brilliant idea formed in her mind. "I know! I'll go challenge him and then if I win, I get to ask him about his past!"

"What happens if you lose?" Mira asked, but drifted off when she noticed how absorbed Ember was in this 'foolproof' plan of hers.

"Ha! He'll definitely lose this time! And that way, his 'mystery' persona will be smashed!" She jumped off the seat and pointed her finger at him. "Ryou! I challenge you to a fight! And if I win, you'll have to tell me about your past before you came here!"

Before he was given the chance to make a snarky comeback, Lucy had already stood up, looking at Ember with an expression of utter disappointment. The hall grew silent, knowing that a bitter confrontation would commence at any moment.

"I cannot believe you! I just _cannot _believe you! I've never – I've never thought that you could be as _stubborn _as your father! Did I not _explicitly _state that you were _not _allowed to get into fights? How long did it take you to break what I had told you? Less than twenty-four hours? Never have I been more ashamed of you. I thought that you would've have exuded more patience than this!" Lucy screeched, her fist clenching tighter with each word spoken.

"Why the heck are you treating me like a porcelain doll?" Ember snapped back impertinently, ignoring all thoughts except for the rage that fuelled her on. "_Forbidding _me from fighting and getting more training? You very well _know_ that I can handle that extra training! I don't understand why you think I'll get hurt so easily! I am not a little frail girl that you were!"

"Ember!" she heard her dad shout. She turned her head sharply to see him shaking his head, warning her to be cautious. She glared spitefully, hissing under her breath.

"Everyone in this entire Guild is treating me like a baby! I am not someone that needs so much protecting! Why can't you all just understand this?"

With that, she sprinted out of the Guild, wanting to be as far away from anyone as possible. She thought that she saw Ryou stand up as she passed, but it was probably just a delusion through her blatant anger. Outside, the beginnings of rain sprinkled from the skies, and she almost found it ironic that the weather was attempting to match her emotion.

She ran and ran, pushing herself through the pouring, ice-cold rain. No one paid heed to her, much too concerned for their own wellbeing. When she finally stopped from exhaustion and fear of pneumonia, she found herself at the outskirts of the town. Behind her was a road that she never knew existed in the town, and in front of her was another road which she guessed would lead to another town. She would've loved to go, but the road led through a forest, and she would rather not stray.

Her gut swirled with an odd feeling – a sense of foreboding.

Before another thought could pass through her mind, something wrapped around her leg, tripping her. As she tried to see who the culprit of the act was, a blunt object was smashed against the back of her head and her consciousness flickered before fading into black.

**..O..**

She woke up to find herself in a place of horrible condition.

Many parts of the shoddy roof were leaking, the rain continuing to steadily pour outside. It stunk of mould and rot. Something also smelt like blood, and she had a horrible feeling that it was from the blow she took earlier. Being a Dragon Slayer's offspring, her senses were sharper than that off a normal human, which wasn't considered a plus with the stench lingering in the moist air.

The coarse gravel of the shack's floor scratched her face. Her head felt dull pain. She found herself lying on the ground, hands, legs and mouth bound by what seemed like a flimsy piece of fabric. To not cause any suspicion, she blew a small breath of flame, just enough for the fabric to be singed so that a hole would be made.

No such thing had happened.

Her eyes narrowed, and she attempted to try her tactic one more time. Again, there was nothing. Coming to the conclusion that the fabrics that held her had some type of magical property, she cursed mentally, unsure of what to do.

"Looks like our little babydoll here's woken up," a snide voice commented from above her. She growled, struggling against her bonds.

"Don't be acting rebellious now sweetheart. We don't want to harm you," she gave a disbelieving look, "too much. You're a prized jewel after all! Daughter to the infamous Salamander and Celestial Maiden that nearly caught us yesterday. I wonder if they're looking for you right now."

Glaring, she turned her head to see her captor's face. Unfortunately for her, a jet-black mask covered his identity. She wanted to spray a string of curses, but kept her mouth shut, guessing that her words would only come out muffled.

"Even though that fabric has rendered your powers utterly useless, you do still have the ability to talk," he said, reading her exact thoughts. "Interesting thing magic is; it can completely block your power yet not block the words that will come out of your mouth soon enough."

"You were the bandits that escaped my Papa and Mama on their mission," she said, more to herself as a fact. "Why in Earthland did you take me? Revenge?"

He circled her like a shark, shrugging his shoulders and eluding response. "Well my dear, there is some revenge added into this. However, there is one main reason why we've captured you." She raised a brow skeptically. He leaned down, his hands tucked behind his back and his presence exuding a sick confidence. "Ember Dragneel, you're one of the most wanted mages in Fiore's entire underbelly. Everyone knows your father and mother, and what had happened seven years ago. They know of your power. It's quite a catch to have you. My luck would have it that I found you at Magnolia's outskirts looking deliriously angered at something. Did you have a fight with your precious Mama? Oh no. Did someone's boyfriend fight with them? Don't worry dearie; you won't have to worry about that Guild for a long while now."

Ember stayed silent, her bangs falling across her eyes darkly. She closed her eyes to stop the memories of the incident seven years ago playing through her mind. It didn't help that the man seemed so similar to _that _man from before. Even the taunts and pet names were similar – almost _identical_. His words made her feel something that she always attempted to hide, even when it had consumed her once in a blue moon; _fear_.

She was afraid. _Very_ afraid.

In her mind rung the sweet voice of Auntie Levy as the woman told her a story similar to what situation she had placed herself in then. It was during a time before she was even born; when her mother was still part of the original Team Natsu. Her mother had been captured by Uncle Gajeel during the time that Phantom Lord still existed in the world, and even through her fear, the woman simply taunted and threatened the Iron Dragon Slayer, knowing that someone would come rescue her.

At that moment in time, Ember needed to swallow her fears and have the same faith.

"You know, for someone who has captured what was supposedly the most valuable piece that you can bring to the country's black market, you've done something very horrible, which in turn will only bring nothing but misery to you," she stated blandly, catching his full attention. Inwardly, she smirked.

"And what may _that_ be fairy scum?"

She scoffed, closing her eyes and hoping that someone – _anyone _– had the same mindset as her. "Doing this for revenge is understandable," she continued, as if she were speaking to a dim-witted fool back at home – which wasn't so farfetched when she thought of the captor. "However, your first and greatest mistake was step number one; capturing me. In doing that, you'll have the world's number one Guild coming after you, and if anything dangerous ever happens to me; well, don't expect any compensation from the greatest Dragon Slayer and Celestial Mage of our time. I _highly _doubt that they'll be forgiving."

A feral growl reached her ears, and she glanced up just in time to see the man looking down on her with his arm raised up, an orb of some type of Caster Magic in his right hand. Through the slits left for his eyes in the mask, she saw a glint of manic sadism.

Curling up into as far as she could go in a fetal position, she dispelled all thoughts of anyone coming to save her.

Her ears picked up the walls creaking dangerously.

It happened like slow motion. As her captor launched his attack, a jet of water came streaming through, halting it from doing any damage. Ember, with renewed hope, glanced up at a place in front of her, almost crying out in delight as she took in the sight.

The wall that had stood earlier crumbled, a large hole formed with the figure of a boy standing. His lips were parted, and he panted heavily. He was drenched to the bone, his clothes from earlier sticking to him like a second skin. His ebony hair was plastered onto his skin, long bangs covering those vivid blue eyes of his.

Even if they were shrouded, she had a feeling that he was glaring at the man with murderous intent.

With his hands, clenched into fists, held in front of him, he let no chance slip for the man to attack. He jumped up with those annoyingly fast reflexes of his, flipping over Ember's body to land on her other side and in front of the man. The boy dealt a roundhouse kick to the gut, followed by a strong jet of water which sent her captor flying back into the opposite wall, effectively letting it crush under his weight.

While the man was rendered useless for a short while, the boy took the opportunity to crouch down beside her, speedily freeing her from her bonds.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, and she didn't miss the hint of concern that was in his voice.

With her hands free, she rubbed her wrists and hands together, trying to shove away her old memories to face another time. "Yeah. I'm fine now," she said, keeping her eyes away from him. She wouldn't admit it, but she felt much happier that it was him coming for her instead of anyone else at the Guild, except for her Mama or Papa. "How'd you find me Ryou?"

Before the words could come out of his mouth, they both heard a groan. Ryou glanced behind, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the stirring man. "I'll tell you what you want later. Right now, we should probably get this guy unconscious before anyone, like your Dad, can come here and beat him to a bloody pulp."

She nodded, agreeing fully with his final statement. He held his hand out to help her up, and she graciously took it, a contrast to what would have happened hadn't they been in their present situation. Hopping up, she didn't let go of his hand as their foe heaved himself up with a heavy groan. Seeing the two kids ready to fight, he snarled, launching himself at them.

There was a moment of synchrony between the two young mages.

Narrowing their eyes, they both cried out. "**Unison Raid**!"

Without letting each other go, they held their free hands out. Both released a powerful jet of magic. Time itself seemed to slow down. As the man moved himself through the air, something... _magical _occurred.

As if the two forces – fire and water – were drawn together with magnets, they intertwined. With Ember's fire coiling around Ryou's water, the two contrasting powers worked harmoniously – _perfectly_.

It was inevitable that their attack made an impact with an ear-shattering 'boom'.

The man was pushed to the ground from the sheer power, his jaw unhinged and his eyes wide in shock. Ember let her shoulders drop, relief overwhelming her as she fell to the ground on her knees. She had used much more power than she had originally guessed, but it was worth it.

That was the most kick-ass thing she'd ever done in her life.

"Ember! Ember! Honey! Are you okay?" someone squawked. The girl looked up with a small smile to see her mother running through the slowly fading rain, worry written across her face. Behind the woman was her father, grinning proudly. Venturing a guess, she could say that he had seen what power they had just unleashed.

"I'm _so _sorry," Lucy cried out, pulling the girl into her arms once they reached her side. "I'm so, so, so sorry. I didn't know you'd run away. I didn't know that those evil bastards who ran from our last mission would come after you. I'm so sorry Ember. Please don't _ever_ do that to me again. You hear?"

Ember nodded and relished the feeling in her mother's arms.

Once their moment was finished and Lucy was finished apologizing and nagging, it was Natsu's turn to talk with her. Before any words could come out of her mouth, he had already pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

"That last move you gave him was _awesome_. As much as I hate that guy, I have to admit that you two can make a good team," he whispered in her ear, only loud enough for her to hear. "I'm proud of you, y'know. And I'll be more than glad to give you extra training under your Mom's nose. Sound good?"

Her lips cracked into a grin as her dad let her go. Due to her shameful balance, she almost fell over her own two feet, but someone wrapped an arm around her waist before any such thing could happen.

"Thanks again," she said breathlessly. The boy who caught her winked, helping her back up on her feet.

"Keyes," he murmured quietly. The word caught her ears. "Ryou Keyes. That's all I'll tell you for now. If you're lucky, I'll tell you more in the future."

He left her standing before she could question him any further. Although, a small smile did grace her face, a content feeling bubbling in her.

She unlocked the first door in finding out the boy's secrets.

**..O..**

"Hey! Water boy! I challenge you to a fight! And if I win, you have to tell me one more secret about yourself!" Ember cried out, pointing a finger at him. Said boy glanced up from his conversation with Gale, eyebrow rising at the request.

It had been merely two days since Ember's capture and rescue. She discovered that Ryou found out she was missing after finding a suspicious looking man at the outskirts of town, holding a flame-orange ribbon in his hand. Once he had finished pummeling the man for answers, her parents had come and they worked together to find the rotting shed in the woods.

However, after hearing her tale about the psychopathic mercenary that wanted to sell her on the black market, her parents unanimously decided that she could continue her training, the work even harder than what she did before. It was exactly what she wanted.

But, she was still grounded by her mother and wasn't allowed to eat spicy food for another week or so.

To relieve her gnawing hunger, she decided the fighting was the only cure.

"And why do you want to fight with me fire girl? You only know that you're going to be beaten," he retorted, standing up and stretching his arms out even with his words.

"Well, because you're my rival, are you not?" she stated, quirking her head to the side. "I thought you figured that out already. I had a hard time accepting it too, but then I realized that making you my rival would make fights more fun! Not to mention, I wanna know more about you too..."

Her voice drifted off at the end of her speech, and a slight blush coated her cheeks at the confession. What she did say was true; she did want to know more about him. But to make it even more exciting when finding the piece of information, she would fight him for it.

Unbeknownst to her, the small speech she gave had made the usually calm and composed boy grow flustered. He muttered to himself, and everyone who was watching their little scene, which was most of the Guild members in the hall, smiled knowingly.

This included the infamous matchmaker of Fairy Tail.

Approaching the girl's mother, Mira whispered slyly. "Hey Lucy, what do you think of Ryou and Ember?"

The woman dropped her book, wearing a smile that matched her fellow Guild mates. "I already gave my permission to him. Sadly, it seems that Ember's just as dense as her father. I guess that she'll eventually figure out the truth."

Lucy turned her head to the two youths, who were both getting ready to fight each other. Even if the prize was somewhat serious, the silly smiles on their faces made it obvious that they were both in it for the fun.

"Besides," Lucy added, her smile growing fond. "This is really just the beginning for their long winded relationship."


End file.
